This is...

 

 

This is my dog and me

resting inside on a cold night

normally kept outside

but now too old to stay out too long

 

This is a boy and his dog

sharing a bond over a decade long

with memories of each other

as young energetic youth

 

This is a memory

of other dogs that have come and gone

while this bond

has lasted the longest

 

This is a feeling

of having one puppy notice me while the rest play on

and then have them all rush me at once

while the first leaves and walks alone along a fence

not knowing she's the one I want

 

This is the past excitement

of a first grader getting a new dog

guilting my mom with puppy dog eyes

and backing her into a corner

 

This is the dog who ran away

an open fence and intrigue leading to an outside world

a sinking feeling of never seeing her again

only to have her come back the next morning

and paw at the door

 

This is the dog I gave milk

too much milk for such a little dog...

and the dog we fed extra food we didn't want

then to have her puke it back on the floor

 

This is the dog I share most of my life with

the one who has been there when I'm scared

the one to play with outside during summer

the one I still have, aged by years

but still a puppy at heart.