Daddy Please

Hey kids, we have to leave real soon,

Clean up your room sometime before noon.

I will be downstairs in the kitchen cleaning the dishes,

Please do everything I asked, especially your mother's wishes.

I gaze out the window to see our neighbors dog named Brown,

He would always come over and play but he just went under his favorite tree to lay down.

Something didn't seem right with him so I went outside,

He seemed to whimper a little and wanted to hide.

I told the kids, I will be back as I had to take Brown back down the road,

I grabbed a rope from the shed because he was a heavy load.

I headed down the road and nearing his owner's home, I gasp for air,

The house looked abandoned, grass two feet tall and weeds everywhere.

Brown was left behind, and all I could see was a sign that said foreclosed,

I felt so sad that I couldn't do anything and I felt tingling in my toes.

"Brown, buddy, I have to keep you here for now because I have to leave,

I can't do anything at this moment but only believe."

I ran back down the road and the kids were stacked in the car,

Sorry I am late everyone, we won't have to travel too far.

"What happened to Brown and is he alright Lilly asked"?

"Yes, he is fine sweetheart," as I try to find my inner mask.

Kids, I hope your school play goes really well and I know you will impress,

Our little girls are looking so cute and mommy picked out their style of dress.

We arrived on time for this school play,

I'm still thinking about Brown from what happened earlier today.

I made a quick phone call to see if I could contact the owner of Brown,

Hearing, "This phone is no longer in service," my eyes started to drown.

Time elapsed and the play was about to begin,

The parents in the audience look around and grin.

The play begins as the kids try and remember their lines,

So many costumes and great scenery made with real vines.

Kids crawling around the stage in some kind of direction,

I turn to my wife, give her a kiss and admire her reflection.

The play was over and now all the kids are running around,

Parents scattering and picking up their little ones from being on the ground.

"Hey guys, let's go home. Mommy and I are so proud,"

Driving away, looking into the sky filled with the moon and maybe a cloud.

Back home kids, let's go upstairs and get ready for bed,

Mommy and I will be up soon to place kisses upon your heads.

"It's getting late honey, I will meet you in the bed,

So many thoughts from my day are running wild through my head."

I step outside to sit for a few minutes on the deck,

Swatting a few mosquitoes that wanted to swarm my neck.

Thinking about Brown and if he was alight,

Hoping he would be okay if i didn't check on him tonight.

I left a few outside lights on as I headed up to bed,

Wondering what Brown is doing all alone and that never left my head.

"Hey baby, I am so tired and my eyes are blood shot red,"

I brushed my teeth, fell on the mattress and I felt dead.

Gone into a coma, my night seized,

Woke up a few times listening to my kids sneeze.

Dreams occurred all through the night,

Some scary and some put my in complete fright.

Several hours later, I am awakened to a dog barking outside of my home,

I scamper to the window, look outside to see Brown is barking outside alone.

I raise the window as Brown's barking is extremely loud,

Looking above my head to see flames shooting off my roof with a smoke cloud.

Yelling at the top of my lungs, GET UP, EVERYONE! the house is engulfed in flames,

Blood is surging through my body calling out everyone's names.

The kids are crying, running towards us in panic and fear,

My wife and I scoop them up in our arms shedding some tears.

Running through the halls trying to escape to the front door,

"Daddy, I am scared rang through my ears some more."

We made it outside of out home, several yards away,

Brown running towards us heading our way.

Brown leaps into our arms huddled together and almost licks the skin off our face,

Watching our home burn, ashes flying through the air into space.

Fire engines blaring into the night stirring up all the resting,

Spooking a few birds that are nearby nesting.

Police, fire, and ambulances arrive on the scene, 

Sitting here watching everything happening in the grass which earlier was green.

The chief took information from us as the police and fire assessed the situation,

Our kids with Brown in their laps looking with anticipation.

An hour later after the fire was out, battalion chief Mr. Knight gave us the news,

"Sir, ma'am and kids, you are all lucky that you might only have a bruise."

"Sir, is that your dog"? "No, it was our neighbors down the street,"

"Well sir, you might want to get really acquainted and try to meet."

"None of your four smoke detectors were working in your home,

If anything at all, you should be thankful that this dog named Brown wanted to roam.

Without him barking out your window, this could of been a tragic event,"

We all looked at each other with our minds, and bodies completely spent.

The whole family surrounded this dog hero named Brown,

Weeping so hard tears flying all over the ground.

Lucky to be alive from this hero named Brown,

If it wasn't for him, we would be six feet in the ground! 

Everyone tired and emotionally broken down upon our knees,

The kids locked around Brown saying,

"He needs a loving home, can we keep him DADDY! PLEASE"?   

K.J.A (c)2017