animal instinct

you need to put
your dog on a leash
the woman tells you early
in the morning
as you walk your dog
behind the houses,
near the woods.
do you have a plastic
bag?
has he had his shots?
there are rules, she says,
what's your name.
the dog growls,
you growl.
you bare your teeth.
the world is civilized,
but the primitive
animal in you
still comes out.