If I could only talk instead of bark,
I'd tell you of the desperate times I spent
Straying aimlessly through the streets,
With thoughts of starvation everywhere I went.

I was ruthlessly neglected and castaway,
Several trying weeks as a stray I spent,
Survival of the fittest was the name of the game,
Living this type of life was not my intent.

The hair on my body was severely tangled,
My canine appearance was weary and wan,
My small body was bruised and scrawny,
And my star-studded collar was gone.

One pleasant and sunny day, I strayed
Into a park where children were busy at play.
I wagged my tail and incessantly whined,
Little Lori Ann - accepted and saved me this day.

Think not of my abandoned life sadly
For the hapless and desolate days are done.
Fortunately, now I fare not so badly
Because a little girl thought I was a lot of fun.

Now, I am fortunate to be loved so dearly
By my newly adopted mistress - Lori Ann
Who speaks to me softly in an amiable way
As she strokes me gently with her little hand.

It is a pleasure to repose my head so lightly
On a soft, flowered pillow that I love the best,
Oten during the day, but mostly at night
When we have gone to rest.

Joseph T. Renaldi

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/if-i-could-only-talk/