Loyal Dog

People used to tell me that dogs are the most loyal animal a person can own.

                           When trained properly with love and care like one would do for any animal. A trained dog will always come back to you seeking your affection, your approval. Checking to make sure you still cherish them. 

                                                                                   Until one day. You’re running late. Your dog can no longer hold its bladder.  It has an accident on your rug. That inanimate object you’ve had for years, but for some reason still treasure more than your dog’s wellbeing. You become enraged. When you walk through the door, and your dog who has only known your love, now knows your rage. You rub the dog’s nose in it and say, “Bad Dog”! Tossing them outside like the trash they are, leaving them out all night. 

But it’s ok! Because as soon as you get up and open the door with a smile on your face your dog runs into your arms, and you pet them and love them like nothing ever happened. Your dog forgets all about it, like a bad dream. 

To a loyal dog. It doesn’t matter how you treat them

Hit them

               Kick them

                                Leave them days without food or water.

They will always come back. Because they are your loyal companions!

I Am A Loyal Dog

               Trained at birth like one trains a puppy. Given affection and love unconditionally. Because you’re cute just like a puppy. Once you’re older and more trained you should know better right!? 

I made a mistake, misbehaved like most young kids my age?                                    

      Wrong!

Can’t remember what I did but I remember being strung up like a pinata whipped with a belt. Because once in the air your feet have no ground to run on, no escape from the belt that lashes your flesh.

After a while when pain subsides, when your tears dry up, when your parents are no longer engulfed with fury and rage.

They smile at me; I run into their arms. Pushing that moment into the back of my head like a bad nightmare

JUST LIKE A LOYAL DOG

The loyal dog in me came back every single time. This wasn’t just with my parents, but with my peers as well. 

Those who bullied me on the playground. Chanting ugly, stupid, annoying, dirty at me

Then our parents would have a few drinks, and we would play as if nothing ever happened. Until the day went and a new day came the bullies remember who they were. All the smiling we did the day before was just another dream. 

No matter how often someone wronged me. As soon as they would shoot me a fake smile. All would be forgiven because a loyal dog doesn’t know how to tell a fake smile from a real one.

How could they? They are dogs after all!

Unable to understand and comprehend deceit, demise, an ulterior motive.

Because they are so pure, so innocent, so gullible.

Taking any kind of affections, one is willing to offer, like a stray dog begging for scraps from somebody’s half eaten food. That is only fitting for a stray dog who isn’t actually a stray, just another loyal dog seeking any kind of tenderness one is willing to offer even if it’s only scrapes. 

In those of you who hear or read this poem I beg of you 

Don’t be that loyal dog, don’t let anyone harm you and break you like a new horse because there’s more to you then being a loyal dog.

You are brave

You are strong

You are smart

You are somebody

You are Human 

                          So don’t let them break you, because you are something more than a loyal dog!

 

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