Snarl

A pup, brought up to value love
Fed on seeing it in the eyes
Watered with the tenderness inherent
Bedded down and comfortable

Yet when the pup grew strong and tall,
Going out to seek the familiar warmth
Found one after another
Spiked collar, tight against the skin

Inward curling spikes to train the pup
Food infested with worms
Foul water
And a cold bed

Over time, the pup
Began to become accustomed
to the evil world
Living in it, but not becoming it

A snarl on the lips
Even bared teeth from time to time
But never a bite.
Never a rip to the throat

Until, one day, after so many abuses
One found the pup, skinny
tired
with a snarl upon his lips

She present him with good food
clean water
warm bedding
and more

After so much abuse
The pup did not recognize
the feast before him
Seeing worms where there were no worms

Even in the face of kindness,
secretly feared the spiked collar
he knew would come
But hope had not be beaten from him

And so, he existed on the knifes edge
Waiting to fall to abuse or to the desperate hope
of love and kindness
Seeing the stink of the first, and the aroma of the second

Years upon years
Good food, good water
Yet, the fear remained
The snarl softened, but did not leave

A sickness grew
Within him
And the kindness she showed
He finally let the snarl fade

Even now, the fear echos
Through his mind
But, for once,
His heart does not want to run.