My shadow pup

The image of you never leaves me, 
It follows me like a lost puppy.
Clinging on to the promises of a life that never existed.
Drawn to the scent of what once was home.
Pleading eyes swollen with fear and hunger,
you wish to feast on my heart.
You beg me for the fruits of my love.
The rotten apples and berries that have fallen before us.
I have nothing left for you, my love
I have no time either to fetch you more.
Nor money to spend,
nor time to play anymore games.
I have given you all that I have.
You trailed behind me for years, although i've never owned you.
The stains on your coat is from the filth you chose to roll in.
I do not have time to bathe you,
nor do I wish to tend to the bites from your fleas.
Where did you come from?
A lost, wandering soul. 
I have shared the bed I sleep in,
and given you the bread I saved for myself.
You've contaminated the water from my river.
and scared away all the other creatures of the Earth. 
You bark and show your teeth even when no one is watching.
Its unpleasant to be around you, yet you trot just as fast as I can run.
I watched you grow into a beast right before my own eyes.
You are no longer the tiny, frail pup you once were.
Lost in a sea of people, in a world much bigger than you.
You chose to bite the hand that fed you.
Now you cry and look up at me with those eyes,
whining for the attention I used to give you,
begging for the games to keep on-
No shelter will take you, no person wants to assume your responsibility.
And so you continue to follow me.
Just a few feet behind every step I take.
The pads of your paws thumping against the pavement in perfect unison.
I've never been afraid of dogs until now.

- tw