My Dog's Dreaded Foe

He sits and scratches With endless scratching They cover him in patches Hope they aren’t catching He struggles with them Longing to destroy their eggs They darken and condemn Creeping and crawling with long legs He dreads this affliction Which comes to him often Yearning for their eviction His heart would surely soften He is the dog of my dreams Yet he begs and he pleads For relief from the regimes Fleas he sometimes feeds He is weakened by their angry pursuit They chase him round and round The struggle is so very acute Until a cure is finally found He is the best friend I’ve ever had When the dreaded fleas leave There is such joy – he’s so glad For these insects, he will not grieve If you happen upon my sweet dog Scratch his ear and let him know His heart won’t be in such a fog Without this angry, dreaded foe Insects Poetry Contest Sponsored by Angela Tune January 15, 2022