Life of a Stray

Bloody paw pads, brittle bones and an empty stomach 

Surviving to fight, fighting to live, living to die

Life of a lonesome canine

Born full of hope, pushed into the cold world

Untrimmed nails scrape the road

Stealing and killing to eat, may my sins be atoned

Lying in prone under the summer skies

Wondering if this day will be my last

When will this dog meet its cruel demise

Searching for a pack, searching for a home

Rejected everywhere I go

Crying every night just wishing I wasn’t alone

One day I wandered, and there they were

Someone who gave me a treat and five minutes of love

An angel who fell from above

But this feeling was short lived because they were searching for a pup

A dog who was undamaged and could easily be trained

Telling me my own trauma would leave them too drained

So there I was, back out on the streets

Wondering when would be the next day I’d be able to eat

More like them came around but always left

No one kept me around long enough to fill this void deep in my chest

I howl at the moon at night

Crying out for someone to bring some light to my life

But that’s not how it goes for a dog thrown to the street

Man, life really has me beat

But still, I continue to go, surviving day by day

Fighting off coyotes and snakes

Wondering if my already torn soul will continue to break

It’s a cold world for a dog on the streets

Fighting every day until we accept our ultimate defeat

One day I sensed it

No more tears left to cry

I reflect on the good times

As I curl up into a ball and slowly, 

Let myself die