Could Be
There was once a stray dog that roamed freely in the neighborhood.
We don’t know where it came from, but it was surely welcome.
One day, it came to our house, and so we gave it food.
At first, it was timid and sly, but by and by, it became accustomed to our style.
And it came back, a little less shy.
Years and years passed, the dog became part of the hood that kids loved to pet to change their mood.
Well, sometimes it is noisy when it barks at night, but because it is a dog, we do not mind its habit as it is well understood.
It was discriminated against by some with dogs of foreign breeds, but did not mind it, even if called ugly and stupid.
It greets us with a wagging tail when we arrive from work or when we are out long and far with friends for a long talk.
Sometimes it bows with the front leg stretched, and so we pretend to play fetch.
When we’re out on a routine mountain hike, it tags along with us up to the middle slope, even when the afternoon sun is bright and will scorch.
It sleeps from house to house, mostly outdoors, because it does not want to be caged, leashed, or tied to the floor. Perhaps it just wants to be free and unattached, just like the rest of humanity longing for freedom and tender touch.
Then comes a time when it reaches its goal and leaves the road with a fulfilled soul.