Little Miss Picked-Up-After-The-Dog

Lyrics

[Intro]

[Verse 1]
Pippin tugs at the nylon leash,
clipped to his collar since that Tuesday in May,
when we walked out of the shelter on 4th Street.
The roll of bags rustles in my pocket,
thin plastic, biodegradable, bought at the corner store
last Thursday, $4.99 for twenty.

[Chorus]
Bend down on the sidewalk,
Elm Avenue, 7:15 AM,
grab the bag, knot it tight.
No one watching, no nod from the jogger passing,
just the clean concrete left behind,
civilization held by this thin string.

[Verse 2]
Rain on March 12th, puddles reflecting the stoplight,
Pippin squats near the oak tree planted in '98.
I unfold the bag, feel the damp earth under my fingers,
drop it in the green bin by Mrs. Patel's gate.
The leash slackens, we keep walking.

[Bridge]
One small act, repeated,
no receipt, no thank you from the mailman at noon.
Pippin doesn't know, but the path stays open,
for the kid on the scooter, for the old man with the cane.

[Verse 3]
Evening stroll, June 22nd, sunset at 8:47 PM,
bag deployed again, tied with a double knot.
Toss it in the bin near the park bench,
where lovers sat last summer.
Leash in hand, we turn home.

[Outro]
The bag remembered, every time.