You walk in
eyes glancing
searching
judging
our coats
and its many colors
and our sizes
and our injuries
and our problems

You walk in
ears straining
sorting
searching
judging
through the sounds
of whining
and begging
and excitement
and anger

You walk in
with your ears
and your eyes
and you judge
too hyper
too scared
too hurt
too angry
too excited
and you say that we
are too sorry

And you stop
at the little one
sitting pretty
not barking
not excited
not sad
not angry
and you judge
that this one
is the perfect one
and so the little one
gets a new home

I see you
walking out
and I ask
what makes me
not pretty
not funny
not cute
not perfect
and I am
puzzled
confused
scared
but not of you
because I,
unlike you,
do not judge