The fight dog’s name, said its proud owner, was
Jake, an old white bull terrier, brindle
circle around his left eye, big splayed paws,
all about, he had nicks and healed red wounds
because Jake got into tussles with male
dogs he didn’t like, pit bulls, Staffordshires,
beat-up mongrels roaming council estates.

The owner of the white bull terrier
was a young kid with half his teeth missing,
tattoos on his arms and neck, in each ear
earrings, loopy and large, gold rings every
finger, he wore a dirty bandana
around his neck, large cuts and little nicks
and scars in hands and throughout his shaved head.