R.I.P BULLDOG

It’s been 5 days now since I saw you last.
Since I saw you wag your brown tail
Since you looked at me with those dopey eyes
Since I heard your familiar bark
Since I last fed you and heard you say “woof” in thanks

I miss you Bullus, I miss you plenty
I miss the way you run to greet me every evening I come home
I miss the way you would run round my car till I opened the door
I miss the way you would try to jump on me and I’d scream
“Don’t! You are smelling!”

You were old, more than eight years old
I remember that day you were born
A brown and black lively puppy you were
Oh! How you loved to run and play
Tugging and tearing at everything in your way

A fierce dog in your youth, you were
No stranger dared cross your path
More than one has a story to tell
Of the big brown dog that lived at No. 13
Even I who loved you and who you loved
Bear the scar of your fierceness on me

Greedy, greedy dog you were
One language you understood perfectly was food
One bone in your mouth, another between your paws
Sharing with Sherri was out of the question
Only when it was heat time did you remember she was female

A stronger dog than you we never had
You fathered so many puppies
I‘d wonder “What a randy dog!”
Climbing his mama and sister
And making them mothers at the same time

Older you grew and gentler you became
You lost your bite but still had the bark
You still struck terror in the minds of those who saw you
Your imposing size belied your failing strength
The slowness of your sprint showed that you had changed

It only got worse
With age came more illnesses,
Diarrhea and skin infections
The Vet was happy, he was making a lot of money
You had to go, you had become a liability
Dad said this over and over
I just didn’t know it would be very soon

Friday night, I came back
No Bullus to welcome me home
No Bullus to wag his tail
No Bullus to piss on my car tyres
You were gone, sold out for N1500
I could have offered more for you buddy
But no one would accept it from me

They say the man who bought you loves dog meat stew
They say he had you for dinner Friday night
I hear, you were tender and delicious
It’s not fair, not fair at all
My darling Bullus became food for a ravenous Calabar man

Can you ever forgive us?
Forgive dad for selling you for a paltry sum to Mr. Calabar?
Forgive me for not being able to stop him?
Forgive Mr. Calabar for craving Dog meat instead of Beef or chicken?

I know not where you are now
But I hope it’s a better place
A dog heaven where you can eat all the bones you want
and shag all the females you like.

Rest in peace, Bulldog (aka Bullus)

ps: Thats Bull's pic above. Cute dog, wasn't he?

.