Booger? Let me explain

Many of you who have met my dog, Booger, wonder about his name.  I named him Bojangles when I first got him and shortened it to Bo.  That sounded too much like NO, and I had to tell him no a lot when I first got him.  He was about one year old when someone dumped him on the country road that runs by my house, and he picked me to come visit.  The story of Booger is explained below.  I know this may be an inappropriate place to print this, but he makes every trip I do, and he thinks he owns the T@B when we are on the road.

You came to me in the night,

unexpected and uninvited.

You were cold and tired and hungry.

I was not prepared to accept you.

I did not feed you or shelter you.

I tried repeatedly to chase you away.

Some might even say you were abused.

I gave you food I could not use.

 I sheltered you in a garbage can.

I did not return the affection

you freely and completely gave.

You kept returning, sensing that I needed you,

 and eventually I let you stay.

It is difficult now to recall those times.

It seems you have always been

 an important part of my life.

You are always in my heart,

constantly on my mind,

and frequently by my side.

You have taught me the meaning of forgiveness;

The importance of a short memory.

I have laughed at you for chasing flying buzzards

we both knew you could never catch.

I have scolded you for digging holes in the yard,

and then praised you for catching moles

that had caused more damage than you did.

I try repeatedly to teach you to fetch,

but you enjoy keep-away much better.

I took you to the vet when you ate rat poison,

when you jumped out the window of the moving truck,

when that copperhead got the better of you,

and when you cut your paw chasing rabbits.

I have picked a million ticks from your hide.

I have taken you in my lap

when police sirens or thunder

made you shiver and whine.

I have been told you don’t know

just how lucky you are.

But, I am the lucky one.

You live in a part of my heart

that only you will ever possess.