Memoir Poem: She was family

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She came to us in a cardboard box.

Her natural ears were down

her uncut tail was wagging long

our baby doe-like clown

warm copper reddish brown

with short haired fur like a deer

white chest, black muzzle

mouth in a serious frown

with a bright white stripe

along her sweet frozen nose

like a bulldog, pug, great dane,

in perfect medium size

large luminous dark brown eyes

like a lake deep with present alert loyalty.

Egyptian eyes naturally designed

with delicate eyelashes

and whiskered beauty mark moles

The puppy mill breeders

called her Bronze Beauty.

She was an expert snack catcher

Door scratcher and shoe destroyer

rush dancing to greet us after school.

I love how she seemed to laugh

while panting offering paw handshakes

so grateful for our patting hands

on her soft golden bronzed crowned head.

She was our protector friend

barking at intruder dogs

fighting off two against one

and she won against those relentless

devil dog doberman pincher bullies

in the fancy mansion next door.

She was caught by the dog catcher

twice dad bailed her out of jail.

So he angrily chained her up

kept her studded leather collar so tight

it left strangulation marks.

I always loosened it

stealthily whenever I could

and he always retightened it.

Her floppy ears were surgically cut

propped up, stitched and taped

onto wooden popsicle sticks

so they’d stand up permanently.

Her innocent tail was also docked

chopped off without anesthesia.

All in the name of pure breed status.

Our world is so insane!

I hated to see her locked up all day

with nothing to play with

nowhere to run

She was a prisoner along with us

but her life made our violent lives better.

When I’d release her chains

she’d run fantastically in circled laps

around our ranch house perimeter

with her rose wet tongue hanging out

and all her 4 muscular legs in the air.

She sprinted like an olympian champion

through acres of mowed fresh grass.

She’d joyfully rush through

water hose battles and tag

sprinklers full of sunlit rainbows

she circumnavigated our home

like a miniature racehorse.

I’d fill her stainless steel bowl

with cool silver shining water

she’d nod and lap happily slobbering

at any offer of kindness.

She sat with me often

under my favorite maple tree

whenever I was sad.

She’d forego her happy laps

to comfort me with her

true enduring friendship.