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, skylark did fly
And  carolled in the sunny 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.