There was infectious pus germinating in its body,
long silken ears were flooded with tic,
forehead scalp had paltry hair standing,
hard claw nails were badly uprooted from basal
connections,
a concoction of blood and water flowed from
its eyes,
deep gashes lined round periphery of furry collared
neck,
large smudges of dirt adorned its coat of golden
brown,
dried pouches of stomach contained decayed food,
its tail which once wagged incessantly when happy,
was now bruised and withdrawn far between its feeble
legs.

the same creature hissed fire once,
gave a volley of barks at the slightest provocation,
guarded the mansion at prime cost of its life,
tore apart to pieces venom snakes and unwanted prey,
slept all night cozily tucked between large gentle
feet of its master,
devoured chunks of rabbit meat, gulped gallons of
water,
licked all in the family from head to toe at faint
rising of dawn each day.

as time elapsed, the onset of old age made it stoop,
it now lay neglected at remote corners of the barn,
gasping for breath, uttering subdued groans of agony,
it already knew death was fast approaching,
all it desired at the moment was just its favorite
bowl of water,
be filled with inexpensive liquid pouring in
abundance,
from the rusty hand pump a few feet away from its worn
out body.


(c) (r) copyright-2004, by nikhil parekh. all rights reserved.