Two Heroes

I was looking to get a new pup. So, I asked my very best friend.

He said get a German Shepherd; they are loyal til the end.

He sent me to this breeder he knew. I went over to his home.

He had a litter of brown and black pups in a large pen is where they roamed.

I didn’t know a lot about the breed, but I did see one in the park.

He always guarded the water bowl and had a real loud bark!

I asked him lots of questions, this breeder knew his stuff.

He picked up one in particular and said this guy is really tough.

He rambled on about West Germans and working stock and coats.

I just wanted a new best friend; I could take with me on my boat.

The breeder warned me about them, said they are kind of hard to raise.

He said they shed like crazy and quite a mess they make.

And don’t be mad if he wakes you up when he hears funny sounds.

He just wants to protect you from strangers that might be around.

I made up my mind to do it. I want this little pup.

But I didn’t know how much money, I was going to have to give up!

I gave the man his money, but didn't get very far.

Before thought came to me, this dog cost more than my first car!

I put him in the back seat. I didn’t bring a crate.

He slept most of the way home; raising him is a piece of cake.

Then I heard a whimper, which turned into a whine.

Then I witnessed the worst smell ever, since the very beginning of time.

I don’t know how to describe it. Smelled something like the zoo,

mixed with a porta potty, and my ex-wife’s homemade stew.

This little guy had pottied all over my seat.

Then he peed on my floorboard as an extra little treat.

Luckily, I was almost home. I had all the windows down.

My car smelled like the trash truck, that makes its way through town.

I got home and grabbed the dog and put him in the pen.

Then I noticed him standing real funny, oh no, he is pooping again!

I didn’t have time to get it up. I had a mess to clean.

This boy could make more mess than any dog I had ever seen.

An hour later I was finished, I went back to the pen.

The smell I had just gotten rid of, there it was again!

I didn’t have time to clean it; my new friend wanted to play.

This guy was truly smart; he already learned to stay.

He liked this big rope I had and loved to play tug of war.

Then I got out the tennis ball, which he loved even more.

I slung the ball as far as I could. The best fetcher there ever was.

The part he liked about it the most was chewing off the fuzz.

Then we stopped for water; I filled the bowl to the top.

Sloppiest drinker I had ever seen. Looked like a pig eating slop.

Most of the water just stayed in his mouth and trickled down his chin.

Then he dove in for more, and did it, again and again!

The bowl was almost empty. Most of it was on the ground.

Then he jumped in with all four paws and splashed it all around.

I said, “that’s it, let’s go inside. I'll show you where to sleep.

But before you crash I guess I better, get you something to eat.”

I filled his bowl up to the top. He attacked it like a wolf on its prey.

Then he growled and snarled when I tried to take it away.

After that I put him to bed and we both laid down to sleep.

I lay there, eyes open, thinking I have gotten in too deep!

Maybe I should have thought this through and purchased a different breed.

He eats so much and poops a ton; this isn’t what I really need.

Finally, I had just dozed off, was sleeping quite well.

Then I heard my new pup barking, at the front door, I could tell.

He was barking loudly and scratching at the door.

I told him to just calm down. He began barking even more.

He was trying to tell me something, in the middle of that night.

Something only he could hear, that wasn't in my sight.

Finally, he convinced me. So, I looked outside.

Looking out the window, I saw a man trying to hide.

I grabbed my phone and called police, they showed up right away.

They said a guy had broken out of jail, earlier that day.

There must have been 14 police cars and one of them said K9.

Out jumped a 100-pound dog, a bigger version of mine!

They caught the guy and took him in and locked him up real tight.

Then the thought crossed my mind; there were two Shepherd heroes that night!

(Jerry Wayne Baldwin; from “This K-9 of Mine”)

*****

I would like to thank Jerry Wayne Baldwin for his kind permission to publish his poems on my blog.

The book “This K-9 of Mine: Poetic short stories from a dog's point of view, plus a few from the owner's vantage point, too.” is available as Kindle version here.