Ellie the Shepherd

I used to pat each nose as I'd walk by their cage
It just seemed like fate, that our brown eyes engaged...
Silently begging for her turn to play
A perky-eared Shepherd was brought in that day.

This once I would start at the end of the line
And leash this girl up for a little play time.
Happy to have me, she led me outside...
A graveyard for sticks and old balls that had died.

She danced in delight with each toss of a toy
Then trotting quite proudly with one chewed-up joy...
She'd rear-up and drop it; stare in my eyes,
Dare me to take it: I would; to her surprise.

Her soft graceful beauty, unmatched in mid-flight
Pierced through the armor, I'd laced-up so tight.
The long dog less months of my mourning would end...
Here was my heart, my new life; my best friend.

She was showing-off now, attempting to cram
Two more balls in her mouth, as she bumbled and ran...
She managed to do it...looked to me for applause
Laughing instead; I grabbed her sweet paws...

And we danced, and we ran, and we almost lost the day,
But the others were waiting for their turn to play.
So I rallied her up, and took her inside...
There were tears in her eyes; I think we both cried.

Those shiny white teeth and the spit on her nose,
The look of pure trust, only a dog-lover knows...
I hated to leave her that night at the Pound,
I stopped in mid-stride, and almost turned around...

I had promised "tomorrow we'll go 'home' to play"...
Labeled 'Aggressive', she was killed that same day.