Before the daughters,
she raised show dogs-
Afghan hounds,
royal sisters. 

Kahandi was the eldest;
narrow- bodied,
always at attention with
clear and deep black eyes
focused forward, her
linear muzzle punctuated by
brunette locks, a
gifted learner, a
serious hunter, and 
task mistress.

Kamikaze was golden like wheat,
with maximum fluff, a
stellar specimen of the breed,
a beautiful dimwit, with
smiling, distracted eyes, a
lover of all creatures,
she tried to learn commands but was
built for snuggling. 

She trained them both,
loved them equally,
praised their qualities but
there was always
subtext- wishing the achiever was
more beautiful, or the
glamour girl more determined, or for 
some method of combining the two into
one extraordinary contender.