To My Dog (Who Likes to Bite My Friends)
A shepherd knows the wolves from sheep,
But you, young pup, can’t earn your keep
By biting friend as well as foe.
You’re jealous of my boyfriend Joe:
He kisses me. You kiss his hand
with all the force your jaws command.
And so he leaves us both alone.
Triumphantly, you chew your bone.
Wooers flee and lovers run.
The shepherd guards her flock of one.
Marie Burdett is an MFA student at the University of St. Thomas, Houston. When not writing poetry, she is a gardener by day and a dog wrangler by night. Instagram: @marieburdettpoet.