dog

My Poem “Snuggles”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 
Some dogs are big, some dogs are small,
and the best dogs are those
who love unconditionally
and always come running
to the one they love
whenever they hear them call.

Having a dog is a blessing, a gift,
as well as a responsibility -
because having a dog is like having a child,
and when you look into the eyes of a dog
and when they look back at you
with a look of adoration
the feeling is noticeably mutual
and beautiful to behold.

Some people, some families, have many dogs
and when they give their dogs a name
their dogs learn quickly
that they are a part of a family
who loves them so much
that they gave them a name,
as well as a special place at the heart
of whomever their human family is -
and dogs love being a part of a family
because it feels so natural to them
to have a group of individuals around them
who all want the best for each other,
just like the packs of their wolf cousins.

Whenever you watch a dog grow
from being a puppy into becoming an adult,
sometimes you forget that for every human year
that passes a dog ages seven years -
and because you get used to having a dog around
and you naturally provide them with food, water,
and of course attention when they need it,
when your dog gets ill,
or when your dog sadly passes away,
the gravity of the loss that you feel
can be so unbearable that you feel
at a loss to describe the pain
of not having them around anymore.

It’s sometimes hard to put into words
how much a dog can mean to us,
and sometimes it is hard to tell someone
how much a particular dog has been such
a profound source of love and support to us
through good times and through bad times,
because a dog - especially a special dog
who used to come to you before others,
and a dog who used to lick you
like they were kissing the love of their life,
and a dog who used to sleep with you
because they wanted to protect you from harm -
can be what keeps you from succumbing to
what so many people in life have to contend with,
and of course only a dog can give the best of cuddles;
and, with all that I have said and more in mind,
I would like to dedicate this poem
to a special little black and white dog
who was one of the best dogs ever:
this poem is for “Snuggles”.

My Poem “Loyal Companion”

Mark Hastings life, Poetry , , , , , , , , ,

All those times when they looked up
at you with love in their eyes…
all those times when you would both
snuggle up to one another
and they would lay their head upon your chest…
all those times when you would
kiss them and they would kiss you
and they would want you
to stroke them as they rolled over…
all those times when you would both
go out for a walk, when you would talk
and even though they did not say a word
you knew that they were listening to you intently…
all those times when they would know
you were home even before they saw you,
when they would prick up their ears,
when they would wag their tail
and they would be so overjoyed
when they finally saw you.

There are no words to describe
what it is like to have an animal,
a best friend, a member of your family
who knows you better than you know yourself,
who you could never forget
all those times, all those moments,
and all those treasured and unforgettable
memories that you shared with them,
that you will always remember,
which you shared with a soul mate
who to you was more than a pet
and who to you will always be
a life long loyal companion.

My Poem ‘Boo’

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

There once was a dog called ‘Boo’,
whose fur was as black as night
and as white as that of snow,
who when they heard the call of their name
they would run to you
and then follow you there afterwards
wherever you would go.

Boo loved to jump;
Boo loved to run;
Boo loved to bark, but never bite;
Boo loved to wag their tail
to show that they were happy and having fun.
Boo was smart;
Boo loved learning and performing new tricks;
if Boo saw another dog
they were off like a shot;
Boo’s favourite thing in the entire world
was their well-chewed green tennis-ball,
and Boo also loved giving “face-sugars”
to their owners’ mouths
with wet tongue licks.

One day, Boo saw that the front-door
of his home was slightly ajar
and that the light from outside
was shining on the floor –
Boo loved being outside
and Boo loved rolling around
on the front garden’s green lawn –
so Boo decided to take this golden opportunity
to discover what they could see, hear,
smell, and taste outside,
and embrace their gifted chance.
Boo opened the front-door more with their nose
just enough for them to fit through;
Boo jumped out into the light of the day
on to the garden path,
and then Boo saw that the gate of the garden
that lead to the road was open…
Boo saw no danger…
Boo wanted nothing more than to have fun…
Boo ran to the gate and jumped out into the road,
and then…

All dogs can go to heaven;
all animals can find peace when they pass on –
but, sometimes, the bond that an animal has
with their owner is so strong,
and they are so much a part of a family
that they love and who loves them,
that they are given a choice,
just as I believe we are all given
when it is our time:
to remain here on Earth
and continue to be near and dear
to those who bless us
with the name that we are given.
Boo saw the light,
but Boo chose to run back
into the arms of their master;
Boo’s owners cried many tears
when they discovered that Boo had left them –
however they knew that Boo
was still with them some-how,
and they also knew that the memory
of what they meant to Boo
and what Boo meant to them
was all that mattered.

Boo lived on;
Boo still loved to run and jump,
and sit comfortably in their owners’ lap;
Boo still enjoyed laying down in the grass
and sun-bathing on a sunny afternoon;
Boo still felt an unbreakable bond of love;
Boo still came running when they heard
the sound of the mail coming through the letter-box.
Although they could no longer be seen,
although their bark was now slightly more muted
than it used to be,
whenever they heard their name
there came a-running the dog that was,
the dog that is,
and the dog that will always be,
‘Boo’.

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