The Protectors

i mentioned it
to one of my brothers

a few years ago
he remembered it happening many times too

his loyal-son knee-jerk response:
“the man was depressed”

which is true but i have been deeply
deeply oh so deeply depressed

and it never
not even once

occurred to me
to kick an animal

much less
in front of children

much less their good
their beloved but barky

sweet scruffy dog

Phyllis and Scruffy, unfocused