And doggy pools
that tempt 11 year olds
to come out and play

splash in the face 
of Discord and Zelda.

You are still a puppy
but middle school masks
mistakes you seven years older

in dog years. Do you know
make-up runs in sprinklers?
Setting spray won’t hold 

when blue popsicle smears
across your sunshine face. 

Today we forget the dog days
of our pre-teen daughter
step-mother drama. 

Today we laugh.
Run. Roll over. Stay.