Looking for a harness for a bad, bad dog
Who sniffs out places he doesn’t belong,
Who digs up the past
When nobody asked
And drags it all over the lawn.
Looking for a trainer for an unruly beast
Who declines to align when put on a leash.
When emotions get real,
He refuses to heal
Before sniffing out the next piece.
Looking for a box for a mongrel heart
Who treats getting mistreated like some kind of art
Who thinks it unhallowed
To be led and not followed
And cannot be stopped once it starts.
Looking for a curb for a heart in a box
Where people might pass it by as they walk.
I’ll swallow my pride
And write free on the side
So maybe someone picks it up.
Toby Hemker - Poetry 