His breath is shallow,
His matted fur is wrapped around grime and dirt and pebbles,
His nose is scraped and battered,
His tongue sticky and longing for a small bit of moisture,
His ribs stick out from his thin skin,
His tail is cut and pulled,
His paws pierced by glass,
His ears bent,
His collar loose around his skinny neck,
His eyes water,
His stomach roars,
He lies waiting for help,
Waiting for love,
He is confused, but he knows,
He knows he has been abused and hated,
As his eyes begin to close he feels warm hands caress is fur,
He hears soothing words of a child,
He is lifted from the ground and he feels water drip on his tongue,
He hears the words, you are safe.
And he understands,
and the child may never know how he saved the life,
of an abused small, golden dog.