Backyard Buddy

He was raised in a backyard
And that’s where he stayed
Through scorching summer heat
Wet and freezing days
About forty feet by forty feet
Is what I would guess
He ate there and slept there
In perpetuity so “blessed”
Although “quarters” were provided
His bed stayed unlaid
He dug holes in the winter
In summer sought out shade
For seven years and odd days
I entered his “realm”
To find one wagging tail
And love overwhelmed
I fed and set out water
Then provided that which he lacked
As we contemplated a cruel world
Through gentle grunts and scratched back
On two separate occasions he took very ill
With love and with stew meat
He recuperated stronger still
This dog stuck in exile
Had a huge barrel chest
And when he died I realized
It was I who was blessed
We were friends in a world
Where true friendship is rare
And a piece of my heart’s in that backyard
Wishing he was still there
Now my twice a week visits
Are no longer required
But a pall hangs above me
And in mourning I am mired
Like a man beaten down
Who still has to get up
I must rise yet once again
But this time without…Pup