vent sideblog

getting walked like a dog ? yeah , i do that . i'll follow you around obediently and i'll even wait for orders .

sit . stay . fetch . come .

i've learned to stop barking when you say " quiet ; " my loud mouth is incompatible with your distracted ears . you don't realize mine have always been more sensitive than yours . you don't appreciate what i sacrifice when i ask for your attention .

speak . now , quiet . quiet ! quiet , you damn dog ! i said ' shut up ! '

i'll muzzle myself , so you never see the violence that pumps through every piece of my flesh . i'll lick my own wounds to not be a bother . i'll be of service to you until it kills me , and you'll never know when i'm sick ; i have been trained since i was born . i hate the yelling . i hate the guilt . i hate the way you fill me with shame . i will be obedient .

i will be obedient .

Rafael Guillén, tr. by Sandy McKinney, from I’m Speaking; “I Hardly Remember”