mine : ?

When I was six, we found a litter of puppies
stranded, alone, looking for the warmth of someone familiar
and so we began
hours were spent without knowledge
just watching their four feet stumbling and running around
excited to have found large companions
picking them up with pure joy
staring into their eyes as if they were made of gems
we played with them, we fed them, we kept them company
in return we experienced something utterly blissful
recognition, from a distance they knew we were coming,
they'd rush to us with so much energy
still trying to figure out the mechanics of running
yet taking the effort of jumping right at our sight
warmth, their tiny paws clawed at our shoes
their jaws pulled open our shoelaces,
almost as if untying our sneakers would mean we'd stay together longer
they slept in our laps and in our palms,
licked our faces making immature sounds of appreciation
this little bond, was so precious,
it made us feel unconditionally loved,
with no obligations,
only genuine affection and excitement
something so pure
like a single stroke of light
so one day we decided to build a home for them
close to our own
we gathered bricks from as far as young kids were allowed to go
we gathered sheets of materials to protect them from the rain
we lay blankets so they would be more comfortable and sleep there too
we added food bowls at the corners
maybe, we just didn't want them leave,
we wanted to prolong our warm relationship as long as we could
we were sure they would have no reason to leave us
yet, it was futile, for all they wanted was to be outside
was to be free
they refused our close sheltered warmth
a few weeks later we saw them living at an old lady's small bungalow
our hearts broke at the sight of our tiny four legged friends jumping in someone else's yard
that was my first experience with possessiveness
and i can tell you now, more than a decade later
that human relations and friendships work similarly
maybe its not even the puppies we were possessive about
maybe it was just the warmth and unconditional love
the unasked for, but willfully given attention we got so accustomed to
remember always, you will never own anyone
but you will always want to own their affection
their time, try not to though
its not the person that you love,
its what you are consuming from them that you simply cannot stop consuming
the threat of anyone else being provided the same warmth that you received
is heartbreaking
as if you are entitled to have  an exclusive right on it
but you don't
we could never tell those puppies to only love us
we could never tell them not to play with other people
no matter how appealing a home we made,
they would go where they wanted to,
they would make countless other people feel beautiful things
Isn't that supposed to be wonderful?
Shouldn't the idea of sharing the beauty another being has made you feel
be beautiful as well?
let it be only that, let it only remain a single stroke of pure light
illuminating multiple corners of the same dark room.
don't try or want to be the only part of the room that gets lit up
let all of those puppies wander,
they may not live in the house you made,
but they will always run at you from a mile away
with undiminished love.