humans are nothing more
than pack animals
like dogs
dogs are the only creature
to give up their freedom
for food and shelter
they are happy with this
this is an easier life
dogs have left the pack
of other dogs
to become one of another pack
the family of humans
just like the dogs
in order for us to have
an easier life
of food and shelter
we have joined another pack
called society
this pack
tells us how to live
how to be
what is right and wrong
in obeying the laws of the pack
we get to rent apartments
buy houses on 30 year fixed rate loans
and have a McDonalds and Starbucks
on every corner
we have lost the understanding
to be self-sufficient.
if we end up kicked out of the pack,
we are on skid row
digging through the trash
of those who conform.
we are completely
and utterly complacent
in this new pack
of the homeless bums
who should feel free
but instead feel shame
the societal pack
does it’s job to look down
their noses and sneer
while the homeless / freedom
pack
stares at the ground
in hopes of being invisible
some may beg for coinage
in order to go into Starbucks
or McDonalds for a sense
of normalcy of their old life
but the societal gaze of disgust
makes this hard to sustain
100’s of years ago
many people were homeless
they were able to survive
and not feel the heavy hand
of guilt
that the pack of society
lays down now
we are shit
we are nothing
we have learned nothing
we remember less and less
we don’t know how to survive
so,
with our tail between our legs
of fur matted
fleas and ticks feeding off of
what is left of us
we enter back into the societal pack
hoping someone will pat our head
rub our belly
say, “good dog”
and give us a treat
