DOGS DONT CRY
They call me Tricksy.
I’m black, small in size, bent ears and big round eyes. I don’t know why but whenever people see me they tell me that I’m cute, maybe I am but isn’t there something more than that?
My day begins licking my mom (I call her mom) my brother and my big sister, waking them up. I lick them one by one, I lick them all. I just want to tell them that I’m here because of them. Sometimes they like it, sometimes they just throw me off. It’s Ok, I understand. People want space, people want freedom. People like love but not lots of it, I wonder why.
I then go out and look into the balcony. Lots of air, beautiful sunshine in the early morning rays. I wonder why people sleep until late in the morning when the world is so beautiful out there. I want to get up at 5:30 everyday but no one comes with me, what to do. I play all day, help my mom. I get the newspaper. Hey, I can tell when the water is filled in the bucket, you know that? The kids are very lazy, they never switch the tap off. When everybody sleeps in the afternoon, I think. I think a lot about myself. Is this my life? Is this where I belong to? Where did I come from? Why do I look so funny? I have no answers. Maybe I just cant think harder, I think I have a little brain.
Let me tell you one story.
I have a neighbor who thinks I’m cute. I go there everyday for a walk and when I go, she is waiting there to pamper me as if I’m her child. She kisses me, pats me and gives me good food and milk. I like her too. She tells me I’m the best puppy in the world! I used to go there everyday without fail. I like her love and I lick her a lot. My ears fall down completely when I see her! I want to tell her that I like her so much but I don’t know how to tell. I just go near her and don’t let anybody touch her. I bark at everyone. She likes it. She knows I don’t want to leave her and nobody should come near her. I play with her and am completely obedient, like a good puppy. And then, she leaves me all alone when her friends come by. She ignores me.
All that I want in this world is to tell people how much I love them but nobody understands me, they just use me when they feel like.I’m their intermission. The next day I went there, I went there jumping with a new toy my mom gave. I wanted to play with her, so I came. She looked at me but she wasn’t talking to me. I don’t know why. I sat down on my hind legs with my tongue out, scratching my nose with my paw. I was waiting in the sun. She still didn’t come to me. I barked softly to find out why she is ignoring me, to my shock she shouted at me too! I wanted to say sorry that I did it just to get her attention, I didn’t mean to hurt her. She banged the door against my face and left me alone. I didn’t know what to say. I quietly took my toy and went home. Maybe she was busy. Maybe I’m just a dog, after all
I went there the next day, she still didn’t talk to me. I stood there for a long time. She didn’t look at me. I went there the whole week, every time she bangs the door at me, yesterday she even threw a stone at me to go away. It hurt me badly, it really did. I came everyday without fail, stood there just looking at her hoping that she will play with me. I don’t want anything from people, I just want to be with them, help them, play with them. She never came close to me after that.
I don’t know why people go away, why do they use me if they don’t like me?Why do I get no answers? Don’t dogs have feelings too? Sometimes I feel like crying, crying loud but being a small dog, its just impossible to cry. I tried once rolling over my feet on the face and sneezed, I tried. But I couldn’t cry. I could only sneeze hard with my big eyes closed. I never knew what love was. People say dogs get so much love as pets, I don’t know, I think its a bad bad world out there. People are so selfish. They make me a puppet in front of their eyes for pacifying their comforts. What did I do to them? I just want a normal life, I want to be loved and love, don’t want to harm anyone. But people don’t understand me.
I’m not even liking my home now but I have no other home to stay. I cant run away, mom says there are bad dogs on the street that are not my friends. I’m confused. I’m lost.
I cant even cry. Dogs don’t cry, but they know what tears are.
I’m not alone, tell me – am I?
Yours truly,
Tricksy
Wonder why people (want to) think my writings are about me!
Well, thank you lady! Every story communicates some emotion. I think it’s a hash of Fictional, Hidden, Transient and camouflaged parallel to life’s experiences (maybe anyone’s)
It’s a really lovely story but if you read the first two paragraphs from your perspective rather than the dog’s it’s actually quite amusing. P.S. I don’t mean to make fun of your story…it’s just my warped sense of humour coming into play
Brilliantly written. Simple and beautiful. Strange how stories communicate parallel emotions.
Word!
Quite interesting! Will Read def and update …
Using a facade as a satire on reality & feelings can be quite productive in regenerating an incredible touch of simplicity, which sometimes is hard in the usual narrative.
Ahh.I asked this only because of the reason you mentioned as to why you became a vegeterian.
gosh… seven deleted comments… I tried replying to each of them from the inbox till I landed on one I could
If you are writing it, the literary critics have a term for it. Just like anybody who writes a personal blog is also entering the realms of Bildungsroman. Anthropomorphisation is more avidly used in animated movies and cartoons… jfyi
I love everything that Woolf ever wrote but Flush was extraordinary for the absolute whimsical quality of it. It is a strange attempt at what Woolf called the stream of consciousness as seen from a canine point of view. I do enjoy narratives which are not always about DWEM (Dead white english male) and Woolf is probably one of the strongest writers to try alternative voices. Also, some of your own writing in this post reminded me of Flush and I thought I’d mention it. It is a strange style and can be slightly intimidating but if you go beyond the first fifteen pages, you will find yourself immersed in the book. I hope you do enjoy reading it
I’ve not read much of fiction. For me, reading & writing are mutually exclusive tasks. I don’t think I can write anything original and honest if it’s derived from what I’ve read before. And you’re recommendation makes me have a peek at whats in it. “Anthropomorphization” – Didn’t realize there is a technical attribute for this style of characterization!
I’ll try to pick up a copy @my local library
Any particular reason why you like this book?
eternal quest of every ‘intelligent’ living species, I suppose
You had me hooked on to reading the whole thing… probably because I am a dog lover (*looks at that phrase and insists that it is not what it sounds like*) but also because you are a very interesting writer. Ever read Virginia Woolf’s autobiography of a cocker spaniel called Flush?
“I just want to be loved and love” – ah! how tough is that in reality?
Thanks Buddy! Surprising to see why like minded people get together even with words sometimes …
There are various levels of acceptance/choices, perhaps I’ve chosen diet to begin with. Not sure If I would want to be a PETA activist!
Beautifully written. Simple, poignant and touching. And above all, captures emotions as they really exist.
Raj
oops that was I guess
I you must not have any leather shoes or wallets as well.
My empathy and artistic nature stems from other internal sources and life’s experiences,
artists breathe from their experiences of life
Ah ok.
I’m afraid I’m going to disappoint you then, because I love meat way too much. Though I do respect those who decide convert to vegetarianism out of choice. So, more power to you for doing what you believe in!
My empathy and artistic nature stems from other internal sources and life’s experiences, I reckon.
Usually true empathy and feelings are attributes associated with a select ‘few’ moments in our lives. I have a lot to discuss about those feelings, maybe I’ll put that in another thread.I converted to a vegetarian a year back, there weren’t a hundred reasons but just ONE. Ironic that you just need one reason to do anything in life. (Even love, people say a lot of things you need but in the hypothetical realm of realities, I think there is just one reason – to love or not to)
The reason I asked? I want to know the real artist in you!
Rather — what’s the reason behind the randomness.
No, I am not a vegetarian, but I am certainly intrigued now: what’s the reason for the randomness?
Are you a vegetarian? (random question but I have a reason to ask!)
Don’t have a pet, but have felt something similar on certain occasions and maybe that’s why this post resonated with me on some empathic level(s).
thanks … do you have a pet, ever felt similar reverberations?
Poignant and beautiful.