Thursday, May 13, 2010

Bailey, My Dog - Rachel Broom

Megan Squire

Bailey my Dog
Rachel Broom

Like the bear she sleeps for long hours,
Camped under kitchen chairs, or on carpets
Unlike the bear she is loving and comforting, different.
She runs. Every morning my mom takes Bailey on her five mile run,
Bailey runs proudly, staying dutifully at her side.
She stands on her back legs,
As she jumps up to greet my arrival from school.
Her favorite sport is to bug the old man.
Boomer is the old man, a dog who knows right from wrong.
She is his playmate, the joy in his life.
She is the joy that exists in my life.

We got Bailey from Tennessee.
The first day of spring, we brought her home.
I whispered in her small ear, “I will always be here.”
Her small jumps and yaps captured my attention.
Her wavy-like hair soon grew to be too long.
One day she got a haircut.
I was heartbroken.
She didn’t feel like the same dog
I once loved.
A few days went by, and I realized something
She will always be my dog
No matter her appearance

Bailey is my friend, I know that
Her brown shaggy body tugs a smile at my mouth
Her grey roots and bleached hair tips make her,
Make her special.
Make her mine.
Her playful moods welcome everyone.
No one is excluded from her love and care.

Her big hazel eyes look at you with care
As she paws at your leg
She wants a stroke or two.
If you give in, she will roll over on her back
And maybe, just maybe, you can find the spot
That makes her leg kick, as she licks your hands.
When you come to Bailey for comfort or love,
A lick and a paw tell you that she knows;
Everyone needs a friend to be there when
you stand by yourself, facing the world.
Bailey will always be there.

No comments:

Post a Comment