A Special Bond

Have you ever wondered what forms the bond? 

These creatures, these souls with fluff,

cold noses, twitching ears,

staring eyes … they come to us by different means,

but all end up residing in the same spot … our hearts.

We owe them love, nurturing, and good care.

We owe them a time for exercise,

be it a walk in the park,

a ball tossed in the house, or just a good game

of tug-of-war with their favorite rag.

We owe them a home; free of danger,

and the comfort of knowing

they are safe and secure in our care.

You may ask, what is our reward? 

It’s the gift that these magnificent creatures alone possess …

the pricking of the ears, the twitching of the nose,

the loving stare, and the untiring wag of the tail.

All of this emotion is shared when we walk into a room

after an absence of as little as five minutes,

or as long as a week’s vacation. 

You see, time means nothing in their hearts.

They only know they love us unconditionally,

and the best part of their day is the time

spent with their beloved friends.

They have a keen sense of awareness

during times of stress or illness in our lives. 

Haven’t we all experienced the comfort

of a chin propped in our lap,

or a paw placed in our hand?   

Who hasn’t been rendered a tattered

and torn favorite toy, as if to say,

“This is one of my favorite things.

It will make you feel better.” 

We must have taken notice

that when the lights are finally

turned off at night, that it is our

beloved companion that makes

one more sweep of the room or home,

and when all is deemed secure and safe,

with a sigh of contentment their soul rests.  

And, we wonder what forms the bond …