Naming the Animal

We gave the animal a name so we could refer to it,
single it out, call for it. We thought long and hard about
the name for it and then, when we stopped thinking about it
the name came to us and we forgot about the animal.

Sometimes the animal has to give up his seat
or his position so the others can be hemmed-in
by their pleasure in seeing the animal sit or stand.

I just called to make sure the animal was okay
and everything. I saw what happened to you
so I used my phone to call your work
to tell you what happened to you but not before
I called the ambulance to drive you to work.
It was the animal that did most of the damage
to your body that day, not the medicine.

Think about me while I'm at work
doing stuff to make a living.