as he hugs the dog with his whole body
his weight on top of her not knowing
his own strength or knowing it
far too well
as he weaves his arms
into a snare around her neck to show it
and after he’s thrown all his food
to the ground or hovered it
right in front of her nose
he yells no eat no eat iya making the “n”
in front of her name silent
because he’s still learning
to speak or already knows silence
helps her hear the no’s as harsher
already finding it easy
to claim something as his, my iya, everything
as not hers or yours and how easy it is
to learn superiority without being taught it
or have you been teaching him all along
how easily he loves her and knows too
he is above that kind of love