"Christmas Puppy"

[TANDB]

Twas the night before Christmas
when all thru the house

Not a creature was stirring
not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

The children all nestled snug in their beds
No thought of their dog was filling their heads.

And mom in her kerchief and I in my cap
Knew the dog was cold, but didn't care about that.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash
Figuring the dog was free of his chain, and into the trash.

The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow
gave the luster of mid-day to objects below.

When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But Santa Clause - with his eyes full of tears.

He unchained our dog once so lively and quick -
Last year's Christmas present, now painfully sick.

More rapid than eagles Santa called our dog's name
and the dog ran to him, despite all his pain.

"Now Dasher, now Dancer, now Prancer and Vixen
On Comet on Cupid on Donner and Blitzen.

To the top of the porch to the top of the wall
Let's find this good dog a home, where he'll be loved by all!"

I knew in an instant there'd be no gifts this year -
For Santa had made one thing abundantly clear:

The gift of a dog is not just for the season!
We had gotten a dog, but for all the wrong reasons.

In our haste to think of the dog as a gift
There was one important thing that we missed:

A dog should be family, and cared for the same.
You don't give a gift, then put it on a chain.

And I heard him explain as he rode out of site,
"You weren't given a gift, you were given a life."


Author Unknown

[Kaity]

somebody else already posted this,
it makes me so sad because it's true that people 'forget' about their dogs sometimes.