I let the dogs off the leash
so they could run
as fast as they wanted
while I biked alongside them
in my industrial neighborhood.
If I did it early in the morning
or late at night
there wouldn’t be enough people around
to judge my actions
or ticket me for leashless behavior.

While holding them,
they would constantly pull against me.
It was stressful for all of us
and didn’t yield desired results.
If I got on the bike, they would follow me
at a speedy clip,
getting the kind of exercise they sought
without straining anybody’s bodies.
I liked the fact that I got exercise, too
– and I saw more of my neighborhood than usual.
Winning all around.

Heading back to my building
we saw a feral cat.
It wasn’t the first time
we’d seen an animal in our travels.
They’d see a bird, hurtle towards it,
and the bird would fly away.
They’d see a squirrel, jump at it,
and the squirrel would scurry up the nearby tree.

The dogs went after the cat
who naturally dashed for a nearby fence.
He didn’t make it.
Instead of playfully pushing the creature
back and forth between them,
the proto-wolves I was caring for
savaged the cat.

“What?!” I moved in to pull them away
from their thrashing and biting,
but when I said “No!” and let them go
they started up again.

I watched the critter breathe its last
because the dogs had obeyed their instincts.
“Bad dogs,” I muttered, but I was thinking,
“Dumb boy.”

I found a box for the cat,
as if that was showing appropriate respect
for the slaughter committed unto him.
I bagged the box, and put it into the garbage.

I am so sorry for what I was a party to,
you formerly free creature.
You deserved better.