Knox, my dog, Murphy

and Sophira, my two cats,

let me know just how they’re feeling.

Though they may lack subtlety

and nuance, they don’t

say one thing and do another. 

A bark, a growl, a welp, a whimper,

a hiss or purr tells me

 how they feel and what they need.

It’s up to me to take it from there.

And you can bet they’ll let me know

if I don’t get their message.

JDG