I prefer dogs

whose tails wag and eyes gleam when you return home

I prefer milk

and its cold, earthy feel against my lips

I prefer the soft pull of the world

to step outside, lie in the grass, and simply exist

I prefer the rain

with its chiming symphony playing against my bedroom window

I prefer the choice of many to the endless companionship of one

for life is fluid, and everyone deserves a friend

I prefer the every-changing songs of Taylor Swift to the loud, repetitive sounds of humanity

and as cars drive by, I put on a record and flow within a world of folklore

I prefer the waves beating against my feet

as the soft sand of Nantucket runs between my fingers

I prefer being a woman

whose struggles empower and strengthen the soul

I prefer walking

because life moves far too fast already

I prefer family to solitude

and our intertwined hands mark connections through love and blood

I prefer dogs

because they see the world as something else

A place to run and play, unbound by the possibilities