Pavlov's Bitch

Deep as a vault in the Pentagon
She's a secret, she's a rumor
Jokes are few and far between
In her clinical sense of tumor
He tells her that he's hungry
He tells her that he's broke
Proclaims himself a victim
Laughs at all her jokes

The bitches in his boneyard
Have all been left alone to prey
And every other weekend now
He has himself a place to stay
Bloody fangs of hyenas hide
Behind their grins, disarming
He laughs when she calls him canine
She views him as quite charming

And he sleeps there at her feet,
Loyal subject, part time companion
To the bitch who owns the doghouse
Where humanity has been abandoned

But there are terms and conditions
Never committed into writing
That are always kept in secret
That are always kept in hiding
Sign on the dotted implication
Thy soul required of thee
For table scraps from Bitch Pavlov
You must surrender dignity

Monday morning rolls around
She removes the canine collar
He's gonna need some cigarettes
She kicks him a few dollars
Hangs the leash up on the wall
Tells him to lock up when he leaves
Tells him he is such a good dawg
Tells herself what she believes

And he sleeps there at her feet,
Loyal subject, part time companion
To the bitch who owns the doghouse
Where humanity has been abandoned

She calls him when she's hungry
He tells her that he's broke
The victims need to breed and feed
Has become a running canine joke
Surrender your masculinity
Pavlov's Bitch at the garbage can
'Cause a jackal could be called a dog
But a dog can never be a man

 © John Kennan 3-23-14