The following are poems collected in Gabriel Ramirez’s new collection of poetry If Pit Bulls Had a God It’d Be a Pit Bull.
Gabriel will be one of over 500 authors reading and speaking at the 41st annual Miami Book Fair from November 17-24. Gabriel’s reading will be at 1 pm Sunday, November 24 at Room 8303. For more info visit MiamiBookFair.com.
If Pit Bulls Had a God It’d Be a Pit Bull
Answering their barking with cracked windows
and water bowls with bone-shaped ice. Pit Bulls
have no fear in either heaven or hell.
Pit Bulls fear: loneliness, not being fed,
when we cut off parts of their ears and tails
and say we are doing them a favor.
Their caretakers causing the most damage.
There aren’t bad dogs, only bad owners.
Only ignorance. Only negligence.
Only selfishness. Only impatience.
If Pit Bulls had a God it’d be a Pit Bull
because who do Pit Bulls aspire to be
other than themselves? When I see Pit Bulls
I see someone I love. Someone I pray to.
Cotto the Pit Bull of Borinquén
When we felt the first wind of Maria
Cotto raised his head from the toilet and
was called to greater water. With purpose
in his paws. Cotto stood at the edge of
Borinquén and barked as the tide would rise.
Cotto chiseled. Cotto got a good song
in his blood about not dying. Cotto
submerged and Cotto kept barking. Cotto
kept barking. Cotto kept barking. Cotto
barked till his blood-song split the clo/uds. Cotto
brought light back to Borinquén like bones thrown
from a deity’s hand. Cotto returned
home. Lowered his head into the toilet.
There wasn’t any water. Still isn’t.
If Pit Bulls Had a Justice System It’d Be Belly Rubs
Not the needles. No lethal injection.
Not hung. No noose. No rope whatsoever.
Not starved. Wearing bones like a wedding dress.
Get it through your thick skull. Not the bullets.
Breed specific legislation sounds like
one drop rule. You Pit Bull. You too killed cruel.
Without fair trial. Gotta get put down.
Because your size. Because all them lied.
Because they afraid and would rather you
this way. In your unmarked grave. You’re to blame
for being born this banned breed of loyal.
February, 13 2016.
Spike. Four year old blue nose. Shot in the head
by cop for wagging his tail in the Bronx.
