Beloved Pets

Cats and rats and rabbits and dogs are regarded as pets, For us, in India, cows and buffalo are assets; Seldom we witness, in villages, people dog-walking, Or sleeping cats and young pigs in their beds or dove flocking; Feeding even stray cats and dogs out of their very meal, Has been part and parcel of our compos mentis love-deal...! Though some religions and sects, here, worship cow as divine, And build for them, just as for goddesses, many a shrine; In day-to-day life these animals like poor urchins, roam, To walk and sleep aimless like an orphan with no true home; Meandering on roads; hit, kicked; for existence they strive, As though birth is a curse, often, they struggle to survive...! If we cannot keep them safe at home, could we call them pets? Feeding them; curing illnesses; shouldn't we save them from frets? Shouldn't cows and bulls have befitting sheds, as we have our homes? Shouldn't, for their grazing and feeding, they have their lush green loams? As none could imagine of leaving mothers on the streets, Pets, beloved, should be cared for as though very heart beats...!!! 17 March 2023 Beloved Pets Poetry Contest Sponsored by: BJ Legros Kelley Rhymes Checked At: Rhyme Zone Syllables Checked At: How Many Syllables