"By Any Other Name"

The rain was pretty heavy
The shelter pretty dire
A leaky roof of broken tiles
A lantern and a fire
But this was life for Henry
A barren wooden shed
A draughty place
That he called home
A hay bale for a bed
A little dog his only friend
A mongrel he named Skip
Who he found wandering
Lost and weak
Upon a ******* tip
The two of them were happy
Though they didn't have a lot
But Henry prayed for them each night
Thanking God for all he'd got
A wealth of love and friendship
From a scruffy looking mutt
Who shared a life of poverty
In a dilapidated hut
Once a wealthy businessman
With justice on his side
Accused of theft and harassment
The man still had his pride
Whilst innocent the stigma stayed
So taking things in hand
The man left everything he owned
And took to roam the land
He didn't need the luxury's
That nearly cost his life
He didn't want to live
Like he was balanced on a knife
With 'Skip' he'd found companionship
That didn't judge or blame
A life so sweet and simple
A love by any other name.

The End by David Whitney               c2021