����� �Skirt�

����� she pushes

her face up against the bars

��� of her cage,

������� ��� to peer out.

��� why?

����� �she sees the same things;

same walls

same floor

��� same room full of human furniture,

������ where people sit

����� �and talk

����������� and laugh

������� and sip drinks from glasses.

����� (she remembers glasses.�� And

�������� plates, and forks and knives; even

����������� chopsticks.)

����������� day comes.� night comes.

����� day comes.� night comes.

����� she pushes

her face up against the bars

��� of her cage,

������� ��� to peer out.

����� same room.

����� full of human furniture

� and she'll get it, hard,

����� �� if she crawls on the big blue

��� ("couch", part her says,

����������� "couch" is what

����� They call it)

����� blue soft-thing, where he sometimes

�sits,

����� � and calls to her,

����������� and sometimes, she is in

����� his lap.�

����������� and sometimes, he strokes

� her neck or

����������������� smacks

����� her behind to

����������� �remind her to

����� �� do as she is told,

to be a good puppy,

� to obey.

����� sleep.� wake.� cage.

����� a good puppy -

����� �� but

����� �after all

������������� there is so much

�� to do!

����������� things to

�sniff

�� and climb on

������������������ and sometimes

������� it's hard to

���� remember

��������� to be good.

� and sometimes

�������� she gets scared.� And he

���� might

������������ get angry.

����� � better

� to be

����������� Good.

�She peers

����� through the bars

�� and wonders

��������� if it will be just

����� him

����

��� today

���� or if perhaps again

other human people will

�������� come by

�� and make human words

������� eat human food,

�� and sometimes

��������� watch her

����� in her cage

� ��������� or put things

����� � in her bowl and

����������� �sometimes

����� � approach,

����������

������������������ tugging open

����������� � the coverings

��� on their bodies.

����������� One day

������� he gives her

�

����������� something to play with.

����� Cloth.

����������� Pretty.

����� � the word...the word...

����������� �"skirt"?

����� ���� a skirt for a little..

����������� �"girl"?

����� � it smells

����������� � nice,

���������� good smells, it's

��������������������� pretty.� She

����

�� takes it in her teeth, shakes

����������� � her head back and forth,

����� �playing.

����������� It's a

�����

����� good toy.

����� � it seems

����������������� somehow

����� � familiar.

����������� but she isn't

����������������� sure

����������� ������� why.