My Life With Pets

JUDY… Judy was a German Shepherd from my newborn days I’ve seen some pictures, black and white; she had a friendly gaze I wish I could remember her as I sit here and write Alas I just have photographs, but somehow, that’s alright LUCKY… Now Lucky, I remember well, from when I was a kid He too, a German Shepherd, let me tell you what he did I took him for a walk one day and had him on the lead He saw another dog…. and dragged me ’round the park… at speed Alas my dad left home one day and went to live elsewhere And sometime later he took Lucky, which was so unfair One day, Lucky, neared a cliff then took a nasty fall Eighty feet and yet he lived, so… Lucky after all PUDDEMS… Now, Puddems (what a funny name, like [Christmas] Pud and ums) A lady cat, not quite all black, with white chest and white ‘thumbs’ A very independent cat but still my feline chum Until we moved just up the street, and Puddems wouldn’t come RUSSELL… Russell (after Russell Mael, the lead singer with Sparks) A smashing dog of unknown mix who truly left some marks Indoors, the calmest dog that you could ever care to meet Outdoors, he snapped at tyres as the cars drove up our street One day Russell wasn’t well, and just lay in his bed We called the vet, then someone said, “I think that Russell’s dead.” Poor Russell left a message in my mind, I shan’t forget Always vaccinate your pet or live with the regret BILLY and BABE… Now, Billy, was a tabby cat, of course, a kitten first The cutest little ball of fluff for which a heart could burst We lived three floors up, so he would be an indoor cat But Billy grew up with ideas that wouldn’t stand for that And when we got a friend for him to make him stay indoors He and Babe, his brand new friend, ignored our human laws They’d walk around the building on a ledge unfit for paws And when they disappeared… I prayed they landed on all fours GEMMA & CINDY… When life throws you a curveball and you cannot keep your pets That’s a situation hard as real life ever gets A newly single Annie moved to London just for me Alas two dogs (and two cats) in a high rise couldn’t be Cindy was a Border Collie; Gemma, Labrador Each would get a brand new home, if we could do no more Such a hard experience the day we said goodbye We took those girls to two new homes while trying not to cry And as we walked away and Annie sighed an awful sigh I held her close and I endured the gravel in my eye TRINA… In eighty-eight we bought a house then found our little Trina Of the litter, she’s the runt, we loved once we had seen her The absolute most special German Shepherd ever born The smallest of her litter but she didn’t do forlorn Arriving in our lives when grandkids came along as well A gentle loving dog who would give all intruders hell She stole our hearts and kept them in her soul for thirteen years Until we had to say goodbye and naught could stay our tears TARA… Tara was a massive pup with such a Golden Fleece Little did we know that she would decimate our peace Another German Shepherd - in my avatar you’ve seen her Only she could ever be the dog to follow Trina She took us and she shook us and she made our lives complete And if I took a backward step, I’d end up off my feet For Tara was my biggest fan and I would always find That anywhere I went she was beside me or behind Thirteen years was Tara’s time with us and I resist Finding us another dog for Tara is so missed For though we have the love to give it just would not be fair That any dog might be the dog that simply can’t compare DIBSEY… The void that these lost pets had left might only have demeaned Any new pet that we chose… until fate intervened One day we opened up our shop and we were followed in By one bedraggled cat, all black, with white under his chin. He’d hang about all day and then go off into the night Until one day in pouring rain he stayed, to our delight Alas, he wasn’t ‘ours’ and so we took a nervous trip To the vet in hope our stray would have no micro chip SHE had a chip and had a home but wouldn’t settle there Her ‘parents’ said they’re happy that she’d found someone to care And so we called her ‘Dibsey’ and we three were family And life was just as natural as it could ever be Dibsey seemed to know that roads were places not to be And every night we’d ring a bell and she’d come home for tea When we moved to live our lives upon the Isle of Wight Our house was by a busy road but I foresaw her plight I held her in my arms and let her see cars racing by I told her don’t come here again, we don’t want you to die I did this many times to try to drive the message home And thankfully it seemed that Dibsey wasn’t gonna roam She’d come in when it suited her and settle by my side And purr and mew as I checked Netflix trying to decide One day we had some visitors… one left the gate ajar And Dibsey left us when she met a passing speeding car * I have had other pets; a lot of fish I never named I’ve cared for them but they’re not fluffy… yes I am ashamed But nothing can compare to the unbridled love you get From a warm and furry, loyal, loving, trusting pet If I could only take them all and mix them up as one There’s not a flaw that I would extricate to spoil the fun For every single pet has been the bestest ever one I hope they’ll all be waiting for me when my time is done