He wears a cone,
the color of daybreak
around his head
like a lampshade
as if he were connected
to an electrical outlet
with an on and off switch
It is the cone of shame,
shouting from a megaphone,
screaming of injustice
for a crime, he’s never committed,
yet guilty as sin
He wears the damn thing
reluctantly, way too
regularly,
out of obligation
to his loving master,
with his doggie pride tumbling
as low as a cross-eyed Tabby
Once a happy pooch,
now a lampshade
colors his mood,
defines his bark,
his four-legged gait—
a social reject,
labeled, libeled,
and terribly mistaken.
Mark Tulin is a former psychotherapist who lives in California. He has a Pushcart Prize nomination for short story and authored Magical Yogis, Awkward Grace, The Asthmatic Kid and Other Stories, and Junkyard Souls. He appeared in numerous publications and podcasts. He can be found at https://www.crowonthewire.com.
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