Daddy’s little liar

Who would you rescue if the house was ablaze?

Me?

Or your puppy?

Why would you ask me that she wonders, stepping into the arena,

Trembling in her truth 

“my puppy”

Her whisper lights his inferno 

He spits out lexicon

Sharp

Thundering

Caught in the crossfire,

Out of terror she weeps

His grip forces her hand

And her tongue burns with a lie

“I mean’t to say you, daddy”

Flicks of yellow in his chestnut eyes flare up in dominion 

Relentless, he continues his campaign

“You’d let a helpless puppy die in a fire?”