my dog Marshall

 
It's none of your business
but I’ve got a mate;  
Marshall the stocky black farm dog  
low-slung wide-headed smiling fool
abandoned on the side of the road when he was a pup  
found  
kept  
left again  
ended up staying on a farm
his latest owner paying his keep
but not here to give him  
what dogs really need  
 
then I moved in  
staying for work  
met him  
fell in love with the bastard  
 
like the way he leans in when I’m reading  
the love-eyes he gives me when he’s cold  
like when he comes to me  
asks for help 'cos he’s picked up a tic  
somewhere I haven’t seen  
 
so yeah fair enough  
fell in love with a dog  
 
no big thing  
 
but then yesterday  
his owner decided she’d had enough  
of paying for his keep  
made a call to the farm  
“going to find a place for Marshall”  
then she put him on the internet
for anyone
 
I couldn’t stand it  
 
decided ten times I don’t need a dog  
decided ten times he’ll be fine  
 
this morning rang her  
asked her  
tried not to sound  
too much
like I needed it
 
she said no  
 
said she already had a family lined up  
I put down the phone  
decided not to care  
 
did anyway
 
lunchtime  
phone rings  
see her number come up  
will tell you straight my stupid heart leapt in my stupid chest  
“ok, you can take him”  
 
thanked her  
thanked her again
closed my office door  
leaned against the back of it  
said “I’ll make sure he’s got a warm bed  
and a collar for fleas
and fish oil for his dodgy front shoulder
and I’ll build him a kennel
this weekend”  
 
don't know why
my eyes were leaking  
had to hang up  
 




going home tonight  
to make a promise  
to Marshall