A Pet Dog

He brings into his house a little pup,

Buying it as an item for sale,

A creature to love,

Or a creature to be loved by?

In no time the latter,

Fills his life and those of others,

A creature to love,

Or a creature to be loved by?

He becomes its life,

The centre of its universe,

A creature to love,

Or a creature to be loved by?

Licks and cuddles, baths and walks,

And hours of time together,

A creature to love,

Or a creature to be loved by?

The mutual love is sometimes admirable,

The affection seems two-sided, but is it truly so?

A creature to love,

Or a creature to be loved by?

He pours out decisions and love,

While it shows only love, for only that it can,

A creature to love,

Or a creature to be loved by?

Called a member of the family, and certainly considered so,

Sometimes taken on trips, sometimes left behind,

A creature to love,

Or a creature to be loved by?

A family member with no say in anything,

But just to have around and be loved by,

A creature to love,

Or a creature to be loved by?

Nothing changes its love, except increasing it,

Not anger, not insult, not enforcement,

A creature to love,

Or a creature to be loved by?

All it does is wag its tail,

Serving as an underpaid guard,

A creature to love,

Or a creature to be loved by?

Vaccinated, drugged bathed

Sometimes scathed,

A creature to love,

Or a creature to be loved by?

It accepts it all,

Giving back only love,

A creature to love,

Or a creature to be loved by?

Protecting its "owner",

Nothing short of a soldier,

A creature to love,

Or a creature to be loved by?

Barking at other dogs for no reason at all,

Yet remaining bound by his word,

A creature to love,

Or a creature to be loved by?

All it wants is his time, but demands none,

Does it have no desires?

A creature to love,

Or a creature to be loved by?

Attached, yet detached,

Nothing short of a saint,

A creature to love,

Or a creature to be loved by?

All this for a decade or less,

Sometimes more,

A creature to love,

Or a creature to be loved by?

A lifetime spent with creatures of another species,

Loves, yes, but also used, abused and chided,

A creature to love,

Or a creature to be loved by?

Syringes, baths and drugs foisted on it,

While it forgives all, returning only a caress or lick,

A creature to love,

Or a creature to be loved by?

He brought it in, desiring its love,

His ego longing for recognition and masterhood,

Not a creature to love,

But a creature to be worshipped by,

He ran its entire life, and as if that wasn't enough,

Decides its death, wanting to "put it down",

On the pretext of saving it from pain,

Gives a verdict that he thinks is right,

And yet, in its last moments, it smiles at him,

Innocently, but does it not know?

A creature that loves him to its grave,

More forgiving than his mother, but certainly not naive,

He looks back at it pitilessly,

With false tears rolling down profusely,

Who let him decide, the dog or God?

He watches it go, still reckoning himself its superior,

Is man so wretched, so wicked?

That he spends his life controlling and deciding?

It was other men before, now it's a per,

A creature he calls family but which is really a slave,

With no trace of empathy, and just cold thought,

His insolent pride blinding his heart,

His desire to rule and to control shall reduce to naught,

When Fate raises His mighty sword, and puts him in his place.

Written on 29.3.2016 at Central Library, IIT Bombay (upstairs) between 12:00 noon and 1:27pm
Vicarious again