Only The Lonely

My friend tells me she wants a dog.
But not a puppy. No. An adult
dog. Seven years old. Maybe eight.
Housetrained. Leash trained. Low
energy. A lap dog. A companion.
That’s what she wants. She needs.
Companionship. A lonely little
dog. To keep her company. Yes.
Loneliness. That she knows.
She’s been lonely far too long.

Panic Attack

My friend tells me she wants a dog.
But in her group. You know. On
Facebook. Chihuahua Lovers.
That group. Today. It’s dental
issues. Chihuahuas tend to have
them. That’s what they say. Like
losing teeth. All of them. Not
a problem. I say. I take her to
PetSmart. Show her dental treats.
For tartar, plaque, gums, teeth.
Okay then. She says. No worries.

Laura Stamps is the author of 51 novels, novellas, short story collections, and poetry books, including Dog Dazed (Kittyfeather Press, 2022), The Good Dog (Prolific Pulse Press 2023), and Addicted to Dog Magazines (Impspired, 2023). Recipient of a Pulitzer Prize nomination and 7 Pushcart Prize nominations.

You can find more of Laura’s work here on Ink Pantry