A Dog's Best Friend Poem by Shankaran Kutty

It was a rainy day in town
Not just any day but it poured
Torrents, burst the clouds in anger
Like a river, became the main road

But life goes on and so it was
That I stepped out to go in the rain
“it is raining dear, and lightning too”
My wife tried to stop me, in vain

My work was done and what better then
Than a piping hot cup of tea
At a road side chai shop I ordered a cup
Of steaming hot tea for me

Then it was that I heard a sound
It was little more than a squeal
It was dark at noon and a quick glance
Did nothing reveal

Then I saw a movement, which
Looked like a tennis ball
It moved and squealed and then I knew
It was living after all.

The rain was pouring, still unrelenting
But I stepped forward and picked it up
The furry, wet and scared creature I found
Was a loveable mongrel pup

Those little eyes then looked at me
Pleading “Wont you save me “
Its siblings had washed away in the rain
Left alone in the rage, was he

I picked him up and held him close
And wrapped him in my arms
Just one look at him and I was lost
In the little angel’s charms

Back in car, I wrapped him up
In a piece of cloth I found
With his energy back, on my seat
He kept going round and round

I gently drove and took him home
For my naughty kids to play
Thrilled they were and from its side
They never moved away

The children were over the moon
They fed it milk and cream
It was their ask for a very long time
A fulfilment of their dream

The puppy was a pampered one
The kids, patiently took their turn
To smother with love, yet in his eyes
His mother, I could see did he yearn

So it was with a heavy heart
I took my kids aside
'This puppy too has a mother who loves
Like you are your mother’s pride

For you he is a thing to play
Like your favourite toy
But for his mother, he is all her love
Her only bundle of joy”

My little ones did understand
Though their eyes did spot a tear
They wont dream of denying a mother’s love
Because their mother, they held so dear

So we packed him warm and in our car
We went as fast as we could
And came to the shelter at the chai shop
Where in the morning rains I stood

Hearing him, we saw his mother
From the bushes slowly emerge
'Leave him down, and let him go”
My children I did urge

He bounded quickly across the grass
To his mother and began to suckle
Not one of us could stop our tears
That from our eyes began to trickle

Even as thunder rolled a serene peace
Did in that scene pervade
Years later, that union of mother and son
From my mind does not fade

My children kept on looking back
As we took a turn on to the highway
That day in my life with my furry friend
Will never forget, come what may.