Holly Dog

Australian Bush Poetry, Verse & Music

I went to a poetry ’do’ at the Dan O’Connell hotel in Melbourne yesterday afternoon. I had an OK time, but was being nagged by a feeling that I shouldn’t be there and must get home. When I got home, about 5, Jack had got in from work and was out the back with HollyDog. On the breakfast bar, the phone book was opened at "Vets" - Holly, our pet for the last sixteen years, was not well. She had been failing for some months, arthritis in her back section meant that she didn’t like the cold weather and wasn’t very active. Now she couldn’t get up and it was too much effort to even get a drink of water.

Holly Dog died, 5th February, 2005

A kelpie bitch, she came to us when she was just a pup
We had her first at Riddell’s Creek while our boys were growing up

She did the things which all dogs do for she was ’just a dog’
She ate us out of house and home - she could out-eat a hog!

She stayed with me up in the bush in Queensland, on our farm,
She barked at nights - at nothing, but kept me safe from harm

She drove me daft - just being ’her’ with messes that she left
but now she’s gone I’m telling you - we’re all feeling bereft.

We took her to the vet last night and said our last ’goodbyes’
She was old and had a tumour - the right thing, in our eyes.

Both boys came home to dig her grave, and say their last ’goodbyes’
Today we’ll carve a marble cross to mark the spot she lies.

But through last night the mem’ries came of things she did - and ate
For sixteen years, she’s been our friend – A very special mate.

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