How do I love thee ...?
In countless different ways.
Beyond the depth and volume of outer space.
So friendly and silky,
adorable and licky.
you caught my broken heart,
in a blink of an eye.

Funny and silly,
edgy and scatty.
Sookie with floopy ears
and heavily lined eyes
How could I resist?
So sad and lonely,
orphaned at a tender age.
Bought and sold
Over and over again.

Inspite of it all
you are playful
and clingy.
Desperate and needy,
Yelping aloud
if your precious paw
was dared stepped on.
Your meals so deliciously prepared,
even the kids say,
"Mummy can we have dog food today?"
If not for hot bubble baths
and doggie treats
bath time would be oh, so traumatic.

Walking? - "What's that?"
not short of drama that's for sure.
First the lease broke with all that struggle
so off kangaroo hopping,
towards home.
Then upright holding onto my legs
asking to be picked up
or worse still,
rolling and rolling on the ground.
Perhaps that is walking,
you may think.
Inspite and despite of it all,
I remain kind and calm
wondering how I could fall in love
with something so pathetic
and dramatic
yelping a torrent of accusations
amidst squeals of daylight murder.

Roll over?
Good luck.
House broken?
Don't even think of that.
Simple sit and stay commands
are major projects
not to be taken oh, so lightly.

My dear beagle
Clueless and desperate
nimble and sweet,
you fractured your leg hanging
upside down from the garden seat.
What next you might add ...
Greedy, you jumped.
Ate handfuls of
the greatest concoction of poison
that you could possibily find
in the shed.
Bleeding slowly to death
if not for your god aunty vet next door.
Who rushed to the airport
to save you.
"Lucy", I begged
"I'm afraid you don't have anymore lives left",

How should I love thee?
Inspite and despite of it all.
"Fight for me", you plead
I am worth a hundred times more.
Your love would never ever hope
to match mine at all."