Dog

Dear dear dog,
Your choices were made up for you.
You cannot have a quick life lived on a half empty stomach.
You won't dodge cars or fight.
You probably (by the look of things) will never sire anything.
You will grow old in this quarter acre and be loved very much.

Years hence, when you die my sister shall cry (for sure).
And me too, maybe.
We'll sit around and tell each other that you were no dog.
You talked and laughed and lived with us.
We were friends, equals, brothers. And yet...

We made your choices for you.