I huddle in the lap of a stranger whose lap is warm.
Shaking in their lap.
I have never trusted humans,
And I wasn’t sure how to interact with this one.

I’m passed from lap to lap,
My eyes begin to droop,
Letting a few whimpers out,
I am returned to the first stranger’s lap.

While I try to drift away, there are so many noises.
Swirling around in the air,
Three different voices,
Music dances throughout the car, and
The faint noise of tires rolling on pavement.

Resting back in the comfortable warm lap,
I begin to trust this stranger enough to fall asleep in their lap.

—-

I sit huddled with other furry companions,
All four of us were tossed into a cold metal crate.
The stale smell of forgotten accidents fills my wet nose.

Barking echoes throughout the hollow rectangular boxes that surround us,
It never seems to stop, day or night.
Not that you can tell when you’re trapped inside all day.

The feeling of comfort sweeps over me,
When I am surround by others like me.
When unfriendly hands reach into our space,
A sense of uneasiness engulfs me.
I tend to never stay comfortable for long.

—————————————————-

My eyes flicker open, the car comes to a stop.
Surprisingly I’m still curled up in the lap of a stranger.

Jolting awake, I begin to panic
I’m worried that she’ll pick me up from the scruff of my neck.

Her calming hands slide beneath me,
Cradling me as the car door opens.

What a surprise.
What comfort.

I have this sense of trust,
Which I’ve never had before.

—

Cold hands grab me by the scruff of my neck,
I reach out to the pile of fur next to me trying to stay at their side.

I start to bark and nip at this unfriendly hand,
But it continues to carry me down a long hallway

Beady eyes peer out of the cages lining to dirty hallway,
Barking rings through my ears, from mean noses stuck out between bars.