A childhood pet—was Bear,
just a mutt they say,
but Bear was somethin’ special
an’ I miss him to this day
He got his name quite simply
because of his great size,
but was always sweet an’ gentle—
you could see it in his eyes
He greeted me from school each day—
slept outside my bedroom door,
was content to follow all house rules
an’ never beg for more
Sometimes we’d take him in the car—
he loved to take a ride,
took up his share of the back seat
as I sat close by his side
He had an’ eighth-stair fetish,
as tho’ assigned the post,
he was guardian of our stairway—
to friends, I’d often boast
When being fed from my hand,
ol’ Bear could be quite dainty,
folks laughed at his small nibbles
saying, “He’s a dandy, ain’t he?”
I never feared real danger
for he was always near,
to watch, an’ to protect me
from whatever I might fear
No squirrel would ever cross our yard,
he’d tree ‘em in a flash,
if they even heard him coming,
they’d make a speedy dash
That dog was truly Texan—
Big with a cowboy heart,
I only wish when he was born,
I’d known him from the start
He lived to be fifteen tho’—
eleven of my years,
an’ when he went to Heaven,
I cried so many tears
But Bear is not forgotten—
our souls shall never part
for I carry him with me
deep within my heart.
