The Dog with no Growl

[Delta40]

I had a dog that barked
up bile each time he was kissed.
Some girl tied his leash to my gate
and said 'yank his tail three times a day'.
He scratched his life away,
till reeking clumps of fur fell to the ground.
He yelped when he bit himself
but I still petted him at the piss ridden post.
Gradually, he sought to chew off his own foot.
Since the mutt knew not the wisdom
of love, he wondered
as he licked his coarse, sagging balls
how he had lost his growl.
I offered him an olive branch to chomp
but he infested me with worms.
I left him in the heat and stayed inside.
We both whimpered sickness.
Maybe not leprosy or mange
but our dried, swollen tongues
could not moisten
the parts in desperate need of care.
He gargled fleas and furballs
till he choked.
In between raw a** scratching,
I found the courage to put him down.

[Jerrybaldy]

This is going to be an allegory that I have failed to decypher. But it matters not as I loved it at its base level. I loved the comedy within and wreckless cruelty of the words and the sickness literal and otherwise. You have turned down a dark alley of late Delta and I for one am enjoying the journey. Loved it.
Jerry.

[MorpheusSandman]

I'd pretty much echo what Jerry said. The comic quickly turns dark and disturbing in this piece, and definitely hints at a deeper significance.

[MystyrMystyry]

Happy ending :)

[everyadventure]

Geez, I almost thought JerryBaldy had written it! Coarse, disturbing, gritty... a lot of dark power in this one, Delta.

[PrinceMyshkin]

Honest and raw and gruesome, given which one could read "In between raw a** scratching" any one of at least three ways, two of which are just too repugnant even for this poem!

[Delta40]

Honest and raw and gruesome, given which one could read "In between raw a** scratching" any one of at least three ways, two of which are just too repugnant even for this poem!

My imagination won't stretch to three at this hour! The dog gave her worms....

[deryk]

Gut-wrenching. There just isn't any mercy to be had. Sometimes nature deserves nature, I suppose.