The Stray

I am going away till late Sunday night. There is a fundraising braai down derby way for the Zimbabwe/Rhodesian group. I somehow landed toilet and environmental so l go down tonight to help with setting up.

I write a bit of poetry and thought l would post some of the poems every so often, l wrote this a few years ago. I left the type of animal and sex out deliberately. All too often people walk past averting eyes as they do with humans but the stray can not talk or beg often they are in a lot of pain and/or totally debilitated. By the time they get to the vet it’s to late to do anything. This is my quiet honour to all strays that end up suffering whether it is just from being lost, lonely and hungry to being in extreme pain.

THE STRAY

Eyes full of sadness
Hope has left,
Hunger gnaws the belly
And pain cries from the body.

Yet in that hell, is left a trust.
That the next human along
Will reach and not cuss.

The touch is gentle
A soft caress,
A whispered goodbye
And slowly you die.

Life has gone,
Pain and sorrow too,
Now peace your soul will find
Rest…you deserve it friend

© CL VN 6/7/03