they are our friends and family

 

pets are never
simply pets,
they are our friends and
our family;
their love has healed
parts of me i didn’t even know
were broken—
their souls are purer than
good intentions.

​

Linda M. Crate’s works have been published in numerous journals and anthologies, both online and in print. She has eleven published chapbooks of poetry, the latest being: fat & pretty (Dancing Girl Press, June 2022).