This poem is part of “Straddling Convention: The Erotic in Asian American Poetry,” edited by Ocean Vuong.

The boss has a band of people around her the way
a band bends around her finger the boss’s
husband calls her a Rottweiler a watchdog a powerful
breed with guarding instincts and strong desire

to control one day at a park I watched a Rottweiler chase
a ball chase after me I ran the Rottweiler
ran I jumped into the water the Rottweiler
swam its mouth open forty-two rotting

teeth tongue out I jumped from the water looked
at my own wagging tail my Rottweiler top coat
of black the boss behind me clothes dripping forehead
wrinkles panting smiling putting her fogged

glasses back on once there were films where people
didn’t speak and we wanted nothing more
even our hearts try to get bigger a hundred
thousand times each day

From The Boss (McSweeney’s Poetry Series, 2013) by Victoria Chang.