to pick up medicine she needed.
Quite crowded it was in there that day,
not even a place to be seated.
Standing there waiting our turn,
my hand hanging down to my side.
My mind adrift, you know how you get,
unaware you’re even alive.
Brought back to earth quite suddenly
for something was licking my hand.
I turned to see who the culprit could be
and there trying so hard to stand,
a Rottie boy, looked straight in my eyes,
Oh, such pain I did see.
I knelt beside him, he dropped to the floor,
his tail he was trying to wag.
I looked at his owner, asked what was wrong
with this boy his back-end so sore.
A neighbor had shot him, in his own fenced yard
the reason, because of his breed!
Bullet lodged in his hip,
it was major the surgery he’d need.
My anger grew at the neighbor who
could be so vicious and cruel!
But as I looked at his hip,
I bit my lip,
for no care had been given
the wound was already healed!
All the while, his eyes never left mine
and a bath I was getting for free.
As she dragged him away
he fought her hard
trying to come back to me.
I left in tears, my heart full of fears
for this boy with eyes full of pain.
An uncaring owner, a vicious neighbor,
this Rottie had no life to claim.
My vet told me later, no surgery was done,
no help to this boy was given.
Tears filled my eyes and my heart ached,
for the fear of his probable fate.
In those few minutes I had with him,
he claimed a space in my heart.
His pain filled eyes yet so soft and tender
will haunt me the rest of my life.
I’ll never forget him, this boy with no name,
the Rottie who chose me from the others.
I failed him, you see, for my hands were tied,
the law was all on her side.
I pray to God in His mercy this boy he’s free’d
from the pain he didn’t deserve.
I know in God’s care his heart he can share
with angels he’ll so proudly serve.
Kathy Henderson 1998
