Forgotten Dog's Christmas Poem

'Twas the night before Christmas,
when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring,
not even a mouse
The stockings were hung
by the chimney with care
In hopes that St. Nicholas
soon would be there

The children were nestled
all snug in their beds
With no thought of the dog
filling their head
And mamma in her 'kerchief,
and I in my cap
Knew he was cold,
but didn't care about that
When out on the lawn
there arose such a clatter
I sprang from the bed to
see what was the matter
Away to the window
I flew like a flash
Figuring the dog was
free of his chain and into the trash

The moon on the breast of the
new-fallen snow
Gave the luster of mid-day
to objects below

When, what to my wondering
eyes should appear
But Santa Claus - with eyes full of tears

He un-chained the dog,
once so lively and quick
Last year's Christmas present,
now painfully thin and sick

More rapid than eagles he
called the dog's name

And the dog ran to him,
despite all his pain

"Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now,
PRANCER and VIXEN!

On, COMET! on CUPID! on,
DONNER and BLITZEN!

To the top of the porch!
To the top of the wall!

Let's find this dog a home
where he'll be loved by all."
I knew in an instant there'd
be no gifts this year
For Santa Claus had made
one thing quite clear

The gift of a dog is not
just for the season
We had gotten the pup
for all the wrong reasons
In our haste to think of
the kids a gift

There was one important
thing that we missed
A dog should be family,
and cared for the same
You don't give a gift,
then put it on a chain

And I heard him exclaim
as he rode out of sight
"You weren't given a gift!
You were given a LIFE!"

~ Author Unknown