Poem- “Confusion and Bad Words”

“Confusion and Bad Words”

I have a dog.

Her name is Maggie.

She barks.

When does barking turn into a dog’s slang?

Let me relate.

Sometimes, Maggie barks at something outside.

I go outside to check it out.

Or, I go near the front door, inside the house, to check it out.

What is she barking at?

I look outside.

But, there’s nothing there!

False alarm.

Well, that’s a dog’s slang.

It’s slang.

The barking is slang.

Why?

Because she can be very aggressive and mean.

She just barks for no reason in this case.

There’s nothing outside.

It’s a false alarm.

With such a false alarm, I consider her barking slang.

I know.

You’re going to say, “The dog is protecting you.”

Okay…

From what?

There’s nothing out there!

She’s just barking for no reason.

Is Maggie barking at the rocks?

What is she barking at now?

Oh, it’s the mail guy.

The mail guy is not an enemy.

So, Maggie’s barking is still slang.

She’s trying to defend me from an innocent man.

False alarm, still.

See what I mean?

Sometimes, she just barks for no reason.

If there’s no reason for barking, it’s only instinct.

If it’s only instinct, slang is possible.

But it can be difficult to tell.

All Maggie can say is, “Bark, bark, bark, BARK, bark, bark, BARK, BARK!!!”

She has no words.

She has no human words.

No, not even animal words.

She only barks.

Her personality can be difficult to judge.

Barking is never a description.

Humans can talk.

In fact, humans can use words and make complicated noise for behavior.

A dog can’t do that.

You see, it’s “impossible” for Maggie to use slang.

She’s a dog.

But, here’s the thing.

It’s also “possible” for Maggie to use slang.

It’s impossible, and, it’s possible, at the same time.

Barking often is a false alarm.

Even her accuracy is too vague for any reason to happen.

Her body language helps me determine her quality of habit.

When the dog gets very angry and mean, it’s probably slang.

When she barks in a normal manner, that can just be a healthy reaction.

Everything about questionable barking depends on her personality.

https://www.deviantart.com/gameuniverso/art/Confusion-and-Bad-Words-910001738