Best Petsday Poems
My three girls
by Michael Hornschuch
With great fondness I write of my three girls,
They're always smiling throughout the day
Chasing cats, and the occasional squirrels
Searching the park, oh, how they play
But mornings are rough, as I walk out the door,
Their eyes all saddened as they wonder once more
Will he return at days end, or is this our last time
Since he’s gone, to the couch where we’ll climb
Guarding the house in my absence -- they watch
For burglars and thieves and postmen at four
This job they take seriously and never will botch
Militantly watching for a stranger at the door
But each night I return, same as the day before,
Ecstatic with joy, overwhelmed by my presence
As if they were saying “don’t leave us no more!!”
Each dog vying for attention at my sudden entrance
What an example of God’s loving grace
Suddenly playful, crazy and wild
Each taking their turn at licking my face
I spoil them rotten as each is my child
Not long before I put down my dirt filled hoe
Into my yard she quietly crept
It’s as though she knew I needed her cheer
She was rust colored and sadly matted cat
Not the most attractive feline I’d ever seen
But she was lonely and hungry, and in need
Of course immediately my Mothering instinct beckoned
She followed me to where I poured some milk for her
Not ever having a cat I didn’t have cat food on hand-
So I opened a can of tuna to her delight
She lapped it up and looked up at me with a smile
The next day there she was waiting and the day after and so on
I had found a friend
So I went out and bought some cats food
She was now mine of at least I thought so
Who could have ever done such a thing?
Leaving her to the streets?
I bought her flea collar and bells to wear
Soon she would just sit on my lounge chair waiting for me
I had to bring her into the house she still looked so frail
One day while she was eating I noticed her choking on her food
It continued so I made an appointment to see the vet
It had to be done anyway after all she was to be mine
While we had our visit and the saddest moment of my life came
The doctor said she had throat cancer and it was advanced
Our friend Tabby didn’t but a few weeks to live
So my husband and I made the pain staking decision
To put her to sleep
Tears poured from every corner of my eyes
“No” was all I screamed inside she had brightened my life
How could someone have left her alone?
The Vet felt the previous owner knew about her condition
They left her to suffer knowing she was so sick
I felt we at least gave her 6 weeks of love and care before she left this place
I will never forget the love and championship this rusty feline gave me
Months later my family and I adopted another cat Tabby showed us-
The greatest love and companionship that animals give you unconditional
We now have two wonderful cats that were adopted
They bring so much to our lives
“Mew!”
There once was a cat from Peru.
That sat all day long whining, “Mew”
One day her master
With words did blast her.
So she ran away, “Mew.” Adieu.
© Dane Ann Smith-Johnsen
January 30, 2010
Poetic form: Limerick
Everyday I would see her on my way to work.
Her owner was a brutal and cold hearted jerk.
She was his gas station guard dog but I guess not vicious enough
so he would beat and kick her relentlessly, I guess to make her more tuff.
I witnessed this day after day till I just couldn't take it anymore.
I had to do something, that much was sure
and so one evening I went there in the dead of night
and with a pair of bolt cutters, I cut open his fence and rescued her from her plight.
My Tasha Girl has been with me ever since then.
I couldn't ask for a more grateful and devoted friend.
He was a great and loyal collie,
he was just a 6 week old puppy
when we got him from my brother
Dave, his dog just had 6 puppies,
which Dusty was one of them.
So on a beautiful October day
in 1964 we brought him home.
Such a sweet and beautiful Collie
he was, it was love at first sight.
He learned many tricks, I could
see that he was a very smart dog
from the start, I never seen a dog
learn so fast.
I later found out just how smart
he was.
One day we were outside
sitting on the porch, our two
kids were playing when they
attempted to leave the yard,
Dusty ran up to them and
herded them back into
the yard, I could not believe what
I had just seen, what a dog, I thought.
Then one day while the kids were
taking a nap, I looked outside
to see how Dusty was doing
and he was gone.
I looked everywhere for him,
no luck, he was gone.
To this day I wonder what
happened to him, someone
took him and I just hope he found
a good home.
written 4-17-11
Crafted from a paper bag
The bottom two corners torn out
Scrappy spent most of the day
Running and rolling about
No toys just his own tail
That bag rustled and slid around
Paws he'd stick out the holes
swiping at whatever he found
On grocery day he would wait
None to patiently for a sack
Just throw that bag on the ground
And watch him joyfully attack
No matter what toys we bought
That jingled or smelled of cat nip
Nothing to him was a much fun
As that plain old brown grocery sack