Kukutis Beats the Agent's Dog

Kukutis volunteered to dog-sit the agent's dog.
Throughout the day the dog stared at him,
didn't let him move around freely.
The pedigree dog
bared his teeth,
emphasizing
Kukutis's low Kukutis-like origins.

The dog growled
as soon as Kukutis neared the bookshelf,
reached for a book binding
or when he browsed at the pictures.
Snickering, the dog reminded Kukutis
that he doesn't know French
or English,
and that reproductions of Parisian landscapes
are far superior to those of žuveliškės.

The agent's dog
led Kukutis around Vilnius.
Kukutis walked behind him,
afraid of getting lost,
side-stepping the dog's fresh droppings,
when the agent's dog

would stop to emphasize Kukutis's
illiteracy,
his ignorance,
and his wooden leg,
always lagging behind him.