Man's Best Friend

• Anna Stocks, Grade 8
• Poetry
• 2013

Through the howl of the wind at night
up the street and around the bend,
You will hear a cry for help;
A cry from man’s best friend.

Through a rusty old gate and up a cracked path,
sitting on a grey ripped sheet
you will find a sick black Labrador,
looking for kindness as yours and his brown eyes meet.

He will let out a small cry of pain;
He will show his weakness and not pretend.
How could someone do this,
to poor old “man’s best friend”?

Showing signs of being starved and abused,
this dog has obviously been through a lot.
What could he have possibly done to deserve this treatment?
The owner must have lost the plot.

The dog will silently asked to be rescued,
to get away from this horrible place.
You will carry his lifeless body out to your car,
carefully stroking his face.

But now through the howl of wind at night,
down the street and around the bend
you will hear a bark of happiness,
a happy bark from man’s best friend.