Your dog died,

And I’m sorry,

because you loved your dog

He had a horrible high barking yelp

And one time he nipped my ankle so hard he drew blood

And left a cluster of tiny scars, like a Braille tattoo

Of the name of my worst enemy.

So I gave you a heart online

Because it’s easy to do

It’s not conflicted

It doesn’t explore the cognitive dissonance

Of me loving you and feeling your pain

And yet hating that asshole of a nippy dog

Who is dead.

Hearts are great

And so are smiley faces

And likes

Except when they start replacing things that are hard

And I’m afraid one day I’ll get sick

Or my mom will die

Or a friend

And I won’t get a single card

Or call

Or visit

I’ll just get a thousand hearts

That go dark when I turn off my phone.

And so, as usual, this is about me

And it’s for me that I go to your house

And knock on your door

And tell your red eyes I’m sorry

In person

About the loss of your douche of a mutt

Who is probably right now nipping the other little dogs

Off the rainbow bridge.

And you say, I know you hated Creedence Clearwater Revival

Which is the name of your stupid dog

And I agree, and we have a fight, and drink a beer

And that’s friendship

Sometimes it’s hard.

Hard as a set of tiny fangs

Going into the flesh of an ankle.

But I’ll keep trying to do what’s hard

Even when the temptation is to do what is easy

Because Love is hard

And buttons are easy.

And I’d rather be liked than get liked.

I’d rather have your heart

Than have you press a button

And give me one.