Hound

The mutt shakes loose his mangy fur, clumps raining down from his back.
He pads his way down Main Street,
The sidewalks deserted and in need of repair.  
The toy store has a sun-faded decal in its window.
The grocery store stinks of rotting pulp.
Flies swarm and plunge into citrus corpses.

The mutt looks around and blinks the dust out of his tear filled eyes.
A house appears, overgrown.
The rusted rotary mower bound by weeds.
The door creaks open, the mutt sneaks in.

Inside is a father and daughter.
Blood speckles the wall behind them,
A rainbow of red and gray.
Shotgun props up the father’s head.
The daughter’s hand hangs down, fingers locked in a gentle curve.
The mutt licks her hand.
He savors the taste and remember what it was like to be loved.