You gave me a present one Winter's day,

Two bright shining eyes and a waggly tail.

He made us so happy, the two of us,

We couldn't help cuddling him,

And making a fuss.

And as he grew older, the closer we became.

He even seemed to smile when we called him by his name.

Always there to greet us, morning and night,

A lick of the hand, head cocked, ears upright;

Listening to each word, then a bark of delight.

But when we were worried, or feeling low,

His expression would change, dismay would show.

The sad day when you closed your eyes and passed away,

Leaving me lonely, I prayed and cried,

And suddenly in the middle of the night,

He snuggled closely besides me, warm and tight,

Licking the tears from my face;

I found comfort in his doggy embrace.

I held him tight and then I knew

His loyalty and love would see me through.

And now we two are all alone,

He guards and defends my little home.

He welcomes friends for evermore;

Strangers, he won't let them through the door.

He is my special one, a gift beyond compare,

His name is simply 'Oscar', his qualities are rare. Mary Seddon

Alicks Fold, Westhoughton

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.