Head bowed, tail lowered
He slinks, dejected
He moves, turns around
Round and round
As he settles down in his space.
I am leaving for office.
Sancho looks at me, unsmiling
I cannot fathom his expression
But I know his sorrow at my leaving
I cannot look him in the eye, I cannot bear to.
In the evening, I rush back home
To see him, craning his neck
For a glimpse
Waiting, beyond the grilled gate
Anxious, excited, tail wagging
Vigorously.
I open the gate to a burst,
An explosion of joy,
Of barks, of howls, of leaps
Happiness unleashed,
Shining eyes, lolling tongue
Telling me how he loves
Just to see me, to be with me.
Though not as adept as he,
I tell him how much I too love him
My words, so inadequate!
Yet I try, hugging him close,
Smothering him with kisses –
He knows.
Later, I wonder what he would think,
What would the lengths,
Of the vacuum of time and space be
Stretching to infinity
When I will have to leave him,
Or he, me, forever.
********* Balachandran V, Trivandrum
Awww..that's so sweet. Like my baby, waiting eagerly for mama & papa to be back from work. Until then hugging my t-shirt, just to feel my warmth when I'm away. The time in between must indeed feel like eternity. But they know, when it's time for us to be back, and I guess it's worth the wait, coz we try even harder to make it up to them :)
ReplyDeletewanted to ask you.. the one thing that stops me from considering having a dog at home is wondering what to do when we are travelling.. what do u do?
ReplyDelete@RGB: Pssst! P and I call him - 'Sancho baby'! Dogs, to us, are not mere security utility - they are members of the family.
ReplyDelete@K: Difficult to answer. If there is nobody home, that is, our helper or someone to stay during the period of our absence- we don't go together. Very often, thats what happens. I understand your predicament, but it is like having a little one or an ailing member in the house. It requires some shift in priorities, but i find it worthwhile.
may b i shud start with 'dog-sitting'!
ReplyDelete@kalpanique.
ReplyDeleteDepends on where you are.There are centers now at Trivandrum, who take care of dogs for weeks and even months. I am sure you can find a place near you.
Get a dog friend, you wont regret your decision.
@ BV
Beautiful. excellent post.
I had a dog,Michael, who was so much in love with me.He was a brindle boxer. He would wait for me with his head on to the window of my bedroom,till I get up and take him out for our walk.He could look at me for hours without blinking his eye! He died young.One day I was trying to write an obituary for him,and could not complete.
I am not surprised people find companionship and comfort in dogs,which some times they do not find in friends and relatives.
A man may smile and bid you hail
ReplyDeleteYet wish you to the devil;
But when the good dog wags his tail,
You know he's on the level.
~ anonymous
@Doc: Thanks, doc! you can still write about Michael, you know.
ReplyDelete@K: Like Dr Antony said, there are kennels where they take care of dogs in your absence. But you have to check out the place beforehand, about the kind of care they give.
@Anil: Thats the exact point.