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Thursday, June 04, 2015

Abandoned Pet Store

Before the bubble burst
Kittens ‘n’ Pups
was in its prime,
a garish and glittery
anomaly
among the discount retailers
and the Goodwill store in
the less successfully gentrified
section of the downtown.

They sold rare breeds
and traded in
cruelty-free kibble
and mentally challenging
chew toys.

We almost bought
a Yorkshire Terrier there
but something
seemed amiss –
her puppy eyes betrayed
an air of desperation.

Perhaps she was able
to predict what
economists could not see.

Then the bubble burst.

Now it is
an abandoned pet store
and peering into its
shadowy shell
I recall its better days
and wonder

where do the purebreds
go
in a recession?

8 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:03 PM

    Excellent poem, especially these sections:

    "a garish and glittery
    anomaly
    among the discount retailers
    and the Goodwill store in
    the less successfully gentrified
    section"

    "They sold rare breeds
    and traded in
    cruelty-free kibble
    and mentally challenging
    chew toys."

    I love the closing question, as well:
    "where do the purebreds
    go
    in a recession?"

    Where indeed. Swing set, maybe?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, CJ. The absurdity of this still is poignant.

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  2. They start poetry blogs, of course. You're always Best In Show, Mosky.

    la la

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Shay! I'm a purebred of an unwanted breed!

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  3. This is a sad tale.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Indeed, there were many sad tails inside as well.

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  4. That closing really stays with you.

    ReplyDelete
  5. So, I had a thought about the poem, but I read the comments on the way to here and now I'm just super amused with all the puns. I may need to revisit later.

    ReplyDelete