Host Poem by Prabhakar Subramaniam

When I get up to leave
My friend's labrador
Who has taken to me
Leaps ahead, without any prompting,
Beats me to the sitout
Squats on my footwear
Saying without saying
He doesn't want me to go
Decades back as children
We were like that too
Though tutored by parents
Running to hide the guests' baggage
So that they would stay for another day - -
The embarrassed host has to lure him away
Before I can retrieve my possession
And flee from such rare affection
That stings my eyes.