mutts

mutts are the purebreds of life.

they have their aloneness as a friend.

they can look you up and down

as if with their eyes,

but seriously question your motives,

by their instincts to feel.

they take in their stories as worn,

having lived them.

now absorbed 

and wearing what is left that remains,

yet ever nose-looking for a fresh meal, 

as this moment.

many wear the wardrobe of appeal,

not so much the looks, 

as more so their presence.

so many will become the emotional cornerstone

of the family unit, 

as their enterprise.

the pound is their sunrise,

at least as humans generally know.

upon first view, 

they wear their history as advertised.

but eye to eye is where the bonding happens.

humans have it as a quirkiness to care.

just something inside, 

that made them feel that way.

but for the dog,

it could have easily been a smell,

or no reactive response to what they see.

and touch, a caring touch, 

as a monumental brain shift is a dialogue, 

they all want to embrace.

they won't reveal their smarts,

unless their self-confidence is over the top.

life in the pound is not reverent 

and so attention paid is a gift offered.

although not as great as the perfect food,

but worth the effort to receive.

they all know that you speak a foreign tongue

but want to know if you speak canine-ese.

otherwise, we have lots of ground to cover

before we're both happy as can be.

so much disgust goes into dog history.

humans, so lame and disregarding 

yet dog has endless heart.

even heavily damaged, 

still has that buried endless heart,

but just can't get right to it at this time.

just so you know,

I'm not a dog person per se.

if I am to be bonding,

it is probably with a cat.

for we then have a world 

that is private and personal as ours.

most dogs are seriously public by nature.

I have privacy of the heart

where little is said,

but a lot goes on 

by indifference as apparent presence.

but I would take on a mutt in need,

as I respect their diligence in journey.

they are monks with soul-searching purpose.

up-lift-ment is their innocence of calling.

they are all service dogs 

without the certification.

yes, not credentialed, 

hardly with references to start.

but as meaningful goes,

easily an emotional cornerstone 

in everyone's needy heart . . .