dog free

it's hard to get another dog.
they get sick and die.
not to mention
taking them for walks
in the rain and cold.
leaving them at home.
the guilt.
the shedding, the barking.
putting the trash
bag in the closet
to keep them out of it.
every visit to the vet
is four hundred
dollars.
you're too selfish now,
too happy and free
to have a dog, maybe next
year if things take
a turn for the worse.