Dogs in Photo Booths

It’s all noses and quizzical expressions,
unlike a cat who would ignore it and shrug
if cats could shrug, maybe groom a shoulder

slick and satiny. The dogs, though, try
to find a way through the lens to
a person on the other side. Not

metaphysically, not appealing to
humanity or anything but just
to find the hand that must be running

the camera, to lick it or convince
that hand, oh it’s a great hand, to rub
just there behind the ears. The cat

would glide under the hand like a dolphin.
The dog begs pet me love me I am yours.