Migration & Displacement series: Lullaby

He put cardboard on the ground and unrolled his sleeping bag. His dog nosed her blanket, the way dogs do. The $20 bill I shoved in his face probably knocked him off balance. Thank you, Miss, he said. Thank you. He kept thanking me as I walked away. In truth, it was the dog. The friend I was with told me I was kind to homeless people. I didn’t tell her I gave the money to the dog.