From a couch 
littered with throw pillows 

they are staring at me 
and my open notebook, 

and even though their tails 
are not twitching 

and their secret inboard 
motors are not audible, 

I know they are assuming 
in unison 

that I am writing 
yet another dog poem 

rather than one about 
the two of them,

but as you can see, 
they are actually 

featured here, 
an irony which is all 

I have to compete 
with their ceaseless gaze.

Excerpted from Dog Show by Billy Collins. Copyright © 2025 by Billy Collins. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.