Ownership

this poem is for the girl who

treated me like an unwanted puppy

because of the way

i didn’t understand her world yet

and couldn’t grasp her ideals.

she left me

at the corner of

the chesapeake bay

amongst busy people.

i watched people walk past me

as i begged for love

inside a box that i knew wasn’t a home.

when love never came, days went by

and i lost sight in feeling comfort ever again,

i left my box, my temporary pain -

and i pushed myself to walk along

the water, in hopes to find a new owner,

but i never did.

yet, i’m glad.

i wandered along

streets and buildings,  possible new homes,

i travelled from city to city

and was no longer a puppy,

i was a dog that saw more of the world

and raw truth of pain --

i realized i don’t need to be owned in order to feel loved.