Lincoln Log Dog

I’m taking a pause,
So please enjoy this poem,
All about my dog.

His name is Link,
And they say I rescued him,
But he saved me.

We both had it rough,
We learned early-on,
What it is to be tough.

He’s got scars on his head,
From where he was hit.
They even match mine,
So,
In that way,
We fit.

Nobody wanted him,
They said that he was too anxious.
But what he really needed,
Was someone to be patient.

He and I know,
That trust isn’t immediate.
We’ve been burned enough to know,
That you’ve got to earn it.

When he came into my life,
It had just been upended.
I had just lost everything,
And in secret...

I attempted.

Didn’t tell a soul,
Until just now.
I shouldn’t have survived it,
But I did somehow.

Maybe he was why.
Fate is funny like that.
It can be cruel and then kind,
In the same breath.

They said that he was feral,
But he was just misunderstood.
And of course I would know,
Only broken souls could.

At first,
He was cautious.
I didn’t press,
Because I got it.

But when he was ready,
He laid in my lap.
And that’s when I knew,
He chose me back.

And then,
Well,
That was that.

Now,
Several years later,
He’s such a happy guy,
And quite the debater.

Seriously,
When I get home from work,
He tells me about his day,
And all that occurred.

They said he was silent,
But my boy’s got a voice.
He just needed to feel safe,
To make a little noise.

He doesn’t live in fear,
Not anymore.
Now he’s got me,
And it’s us vs. the world.

He’s been to the Grand Canyon,
Seen mountains in Colorado,
And he knows that,
With me,
Adventure is the motto.

We got a house,
And although I have a mortgage.
He’s got a yard,
And that alone makes it worth it.
He’s family to me,
And the witness at my wedding.
Because that happens to be legal,
Where we are eloping.

So,
This one is for Link,
My favorite log dog,
Who imprinted on my heart,
With all four of his paws.