A Loyal Friend Poem by Emma Atkinson

Two chocolate eyes,
A wet piece of charcoal for a nose,
The balmy air that blows,
Gently against your hand,
As you stand,
Nuzzled by a friend,
Who stands on four broad paws,
With soft, harmless jaws,
And collar to announce his name.
You smile all the same,
Stoking him behind the ears,
As you have all these years,
He's been such a loyal friend.
A gentle prod and loving stare,
To remind you he is always there,
A tug, a lick,
A hopeful look, an expectant stick,
He knows you want to play,
Even if you never say,
He'll wait patiently until you do,
He is a patient friend, its true.
A creature with hungry eyes,
Who cannot tell a single lie,
As he begs, unabashed by the stove,
Where he will forever rove,
Until he finds you or food,
And you would give it to him if you could,
But only when no one can see,
Because your friend is on a diet, you see.
He snuggles with you to lift your spirits,
He knows your voice when he hears it,
And wishes only to make you smile,
So he will sit with you a while,
Curled up by the fire,
Something of which he will never tire,
Especially if you are there with him,
Even if it's just a whim.
And if he sees you are still sad,
He'll bring you the ball he had,
Because throwing a ball is fun,
It brings out the best in everyone.
Balls are mindless and chase-able,
They make everything erasable,
At least, that is what in his head he thinks,
As he wriggles and blinks,
With it in his jaws.
And you laugh, don't you?
You'll throw it won't you?
He is such a delightful friend.
And if you ever need to walk somewhere
He'll remind you he is there,
Bring you his leash as if to say 'I'm ready'
'I will be here to keep you steady-
Oh, wait, is that a squirrel? '
And you will be off in a whirl,
Laughing as you crash through the woods,
And wandering down neighborhoods,
To simply enjoy the air.
Now, what better friend is there?
You see, chocolate eyes are the best kind,
Or so you will find,
As you sit stroking that friend.
There is no one, no other creature,
Who can be a better teacher,
Of how to be a friend so long,
And love with such loyalty,
No, only a dog.