Dog

I was mistaken for a dog once
it was the '80s and perms were huge
I had one
my hair hung around my head in a mushroom shape
and fell down in front of my eyes
sometimes
people said "you look like Jennifer Grey
in 'Dirty Dancing'"
we went to the bank drive-through
in a pickup truck
all us kids piled in the back
it was the '80s and safety wasn't huge
we craned our heads over the side
so the teller would see us and offer lollies
but this time she looked
and asked in the intercom:
"Two suckers and a milk bone?"
the milk bone was for me
everyone knew
because of my shaggy hair
we all laughed

I was a dog once