I

The battered deserter limped blindly through the dark
His quivering nose and snarling lip twitch in unsynchronized unison.
This carnivores bite is worse then his bark
His competitors circle, ecstatic to finish him

The cackling demons jeered from every side
He growls and dares them to prance into the reach of his daunting teeth
One bolts forward and claws rip into his hide
He yips and swivels to bite him from underneath

Dejectedly, the blood red opponent scrambles back to the crowd
Streaks of blood mark the ground where countless attackers were humbled by force
The yipping increases in intensity and grows obscenely loud
A colossal brute rises from the shadows, his weight and size rivaling a horse

He walks with a purpose, striding and strong
Bleeding and bruised the less impressive veteran holds his ground
The battle that ensues is gruesome, bloody and long
Then all of the hyenas scatter at a ear shattering sound

II

I emerge from the grass, gun smoking, to see a sickening sight
A mangled body lies seemingly lifeless in the brush
The poor old thing put up quite a fight
By the looks of how his blood does gush

Warily, I pick up his torn body, carefully holding him against my arm
He moans softly and tries to lift up his head
I swear at that moment to keep him from harm
I couldn’t leave this poor thing for dead


It’s been a week since I took him to my little shack
It’s been four days since he died in his sleep
His presence I miss, His presence my place does lack
Forever in my soul I will weep.