Stray Dog Story

Though no one may care to read my story I too had my days of glory Moments when a glowing pride Kindled within in me inside. My old master's words of praise Gave to my heart a needed raise for me it was a lucky day we met As him I never shall forget. My first master was a man Who lived in a caravan To me he was unkind A crueler boss you could not find Whilst he eat good and plenty My poor stomach it was empty Gave me one slice of bread for dinner And each day I grew weak and thinner. Imagine once a day being fed On a single slice of bread Your hungry belly paining And no one heeding your complaining. In weather cold and bad The one shelter that I had Was under the caravan floor On nights cold as minus four. For me it was a dreary bore Each night listening to him snore You'd swear it was a pig and not a man Which slept within that caravan. It often came across my mind To leave this hellish place behind And then one gloomy Winter's day I resolved to run away. From under the caravan I departed quietly That night as the moon shone brightly I left behind my so called home The hunger had forced me to roam. That night I must have travelled twelve miles or more My blistered pads felt hot and sore A frosty Winter's dawn was breaking And my empty belly it was aching. Quieter than a frightened mouse I slipped into the backyard of a white washed house Hoping to find something to eat Slices of bread or scraps of meat. Then a human voice rang out in greeting And shyly I commenced retreating It was a gray haired man that spoke And he seemed a friendly sort of bloke. The words he spoke sounded sincere And of this man I lost all fear He came up to me and stroked my head And then gave me to eat fresh milk and bread. I never eat a better meal It killed the painful hungry feel, He was a new found friend indeed Who had given me this welcome feed. For me wasn't it a lucky day I had found a decent place to stay Found a master whom I could respect And no more need to feel like a reject. From that day I slept in the coal shed Having clean dry oaten straw for bed Had no further reason to complain And felt no bitter cold or hunger pain. Cold Winter days faded to Spring And songbirds commenced to sing And brand new leaves on bare trees grew And the sky changed from gray to blue. And then came May and Summer days begun And the swallows returned with the sun Wild flowers bloomed, larks piped in joy And sun shone brightly in blue sky. Each sunny Summer evening he would take Me for a walk up to the valley lake Where he'd sit for an hour or two Whilst I found more active things to do. And from it master he derived much fun Watching the sprightly rabbits me outrun And though I often tasted rabbit meat Few of them ever died between my teeth. For five years I lived better than a king Was treated to the best of everything Had a boss on whom I could depend To me this kind man was a true friend. But then I noticed he was getting thin He seemed like a skeleton with skin Each passing day his face grew sad and pale The signs were clear that he was on the fail. His eyes they seemed to grow into his head And it was seldom now he left his bed And though the poor man felt in morbid mood He still came to me twice a day with food. But then one day he did not show his face And the next day there was still no trace Of my gentle and beloved boss And I grew hungry and grieved for my loss. That evening late a woman and a man Drove up to the house in a big white motor van I watched them take my boss away from me And his face I was never more to see. I awaited his return but in vain And again I felt the dreaded hunger pain, Once more the hunger it forced me to stray And from the deserted house I went away. In a little town I now reside Have lost my sense of dignity and pride, Frowned upon, unwanted and alone A stray dog without a home. Here am I a poor unwanted stray Living on what others throw away, With painful body, sore and stiffened bone From sleeping on the hard and damp flag stone. And alas for me the future only hold Fear of starvation and the bitter cold But I too had my good days in the past Though unfortunately those times did not last.