Not long ago,
And not too far away
There lived a dog
Who once was a stray
His owner had found him
By the side of the street
Starving and begging
For something to eat
Taking him in
And cleaning him up
The owner made sure
That the dog was well-loved
When he was hungry,
The owner would feed him
And whisper a promise
That he’d never leave him
They’d take long walks
Most every day
Then head for the fields
So the dog could go play
And then each night
While the owner would sleep
The dog would climb up
In the bed by his feet
So, it’s hard to know why
But there came a day
When the dog left his home
And wandered away
(He made a big mess
On that fateful day
And tore up the house,
Eating all that remained)
Still, day and night
The owner would wait
And stare down the road
As he leaned on the gate
Hoping he’d see
The dog running fast
Into his arms
And at home, at last
But the dog had wandered
Back to the town
Where he had once lived
Before he was found
The dog found the friends
He’d known once before
And started back fighting
And stealing from stores
He’d wander the roads
And scare little kids
And hurt smaller puppies
Just like his friends did
He’d cause big problems
All through the town
And then he’d destroy
Whatever he found
(It seemed he’d forgotten
The home he once loved
Where he’d been well-fed
And taken care of)
Digging through garbage
He’d find stuff to eat
In the rain and the cold
He’d sleep in the streets
But then one night
After causing a rage
He was finally caught
And put in a cage
Later, he sat
In a cold, lonely place
And finally remembered
His owner’s kind face
He thought of the love
That the owner would give
And the food he provided
To help the dog live
He thought of the warmth
Of the home where he’d stayed
Then remembered the day
That he’d wandered away
“Why did I leave?”
The dog thought inside
“Now I have no home!”
And he started to cry
“How could that man
Ever love me again
When I ran away
Though he was my friend”
“I messed up his house,
I stole all his food
I ran to the streets
Though he’d been so good”
“If only I could
Go home once again
I’d serve my owner…
Though I’m no longer his friend”
Many days passed
With nothing to eat
The dog would do nothing
But lay there and sleep.
He’d heard of the fate
Of a dog just like him
He knew that he didn’t
Have much time to live.
But then, one day
The dog heard his name—
And a familiar voice
Not too far away.
He lifted his head
And though he was weak
Tried to find all the strength
That he needed to speak
His first bark was soft
But then they grew loud
In hopes he’d be heard
And finally found
He heard the door open
With a loud creak
And then he saw
Some familiar feet
The keys rattled, then opened
The cage where he’d been
And then he saw
A kind hand reaching in
As he was pulled out
He looked up to see
The owner had come
So he could go free
But the dog cowered back
For he knew he’d been wrong
And thought that the cage
Was where he belonged
Still, the owner knelt down
With his arms open wide
To welcome the dog
Who was trying to hide
The owner leaned forward,
With a warm embrace
Until the dog started licking
The tears from his face
Then after many
Minutes had passed
The owner and dog
Went home, at last
The dog stayed at home,
Never wandered again
And decided his purpose
Was to be man’s best friend
For he’d been forgiven
Reminding us of
Another, far greater
More heavenly love
Read more articles by Jenna Fernandez or search for articles on the same topic or others.
