Canine Mindfulness
If I were a canine only,
I could live by olfactory
And smell my way to mindfulness.
I could sniff any crotch I like,
And bite anyone’s ass in spite.
I could slobber all over your beautiful face
And dry hump anyone in their private little space.
I could lick my privates in public,
then thrash your pretty toes
and go out and urinate, even in a school zone.
I can bark when I like,
Without disturbing the peace,
And you’d always take me for walks,
Never being too busy for me.
I can devour that sweet pussy
The cat but no blame in that
Because old dogs will always be just like that.
So, if I were a canine,
I could live the American Dream
Without making a damn thing,
And no matter what shape or color,
I would never be called a “stupid motherfucker.”
I can caress drunken homophobic balls,
And only he’d be accused
Of having gay sex with a dog.
It would be no matter to me
Because we love dogs unconditionally,
So, when I imagine a pretty lass holding me,
Even when I bite,
I’m in the mood for canine mindfulness;
Just wanting my desire to be alright.
Earl Yarington (LMSW) is a social worker and school bus driver. He taught literature and writing for nearly 20 years and spent 3 years working in forensic social work internships with offending populations, including work at Delaware Correctional facilities and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He has a PhD in literature and criticism (feminism/women writers) from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Master of Social Work from Louisiana State University, and an interdisciplinary Master of Liberal Arts from Arizona State University, where he studied the impact of visual image and girlhood in media/social media. He also has an MA and BS in English from SUNY College at Brockport. The opinions and analyses that Earl writes are his own and are not necessarily the positions or views of his employers, the agencies he supports, or that of his colleagues. Reach out with comments or questions.