Pain

it's an old companion,
pain-
almost a friend.
pain is closer than your bones
throbs like a heart
follows your steps.

it's less than a lover, pain.
(if faithful to a fault, for sure.)
it keeps watch at night, all by its lonesome
it plays with you at noon, be the day cold or warm
it's there for you.

it's yours, of that no doubt at all.
it can don many masks, play many roles
soft as a courtesan, hard as a whore's lips smacking on crack
but always there, somewhere.

your dog will never be as faithful as it,
pain.