Once there was a girl, in need of friends

who drew a tiny puppy, with colored pens

Black and white; with blue, brown eyes

a drawing so dear, it raptured her life

Because she instantly knew

she had split her heart and created two

With that came love and confidence

but also, ambivalent dread of incompetence

The puppy was now hers to take care of

hers to keep from harm

And if it ever would become frightened

she had to be brave to keep it calm

And if it ever would be barking, she imagined a throaty sound

So she named the puppy Husky, hoarse and proud

While singing its name with a joyous spark

she flew the paper puppy, like a kite to the park

But there some bullies from school

were playing pranks and thought it cool

To rob the girl of her paper friend

just to see her cry a Seine

“Please don't hurt Husky,” the girl begged the foes

“You'll break our hearts if you scar his tiny nose.”

But the bullies laughed, and ignored the girl’s plead

why should they care about how others feel?

They said, “Stop whining, you silly lass

it's time to grow up an age class.”

Then the bullies tore the puppy into bits

their eyes gleaming as they were waiting for a fit

And seconds later, to the bullies’ great delight

the girl weakened and succumbed to an inner fight

And she cried, cried, cried

it's so unfair how fast someone can die

You believe you have your loved ones forever

and then they are gone, with a flick of a feather

Husky was the girl’s only friend

and now the she felt alone in the world again

The girl dragged her feet back home, where she entered her room

but the air in there had changed, it felt like a tomb

I must revive Husky, the girl thought

its friendship was all I have ever sought

So, the girl hurried to draw the puppy once more

but however she tried, it didn't turn out like before

It wasn't Husky that came to life on the paper sheet

It was a dog oozing danger, with eyes of a stranger, it looked like a creep

The girl got scared, and tossed the away the paper

and her hope of friendship felt as graspable as vapor

Months went by, but the girl never forgot about her friend

and it had been awfully lonely ever since then

But one day, as she was walking home from school, the rain started to fall

and she had to find shelter in the town’s shopping mall

She saw a pet store, and hurried in for cover

and little did she know what she was about to discover

There was a whimper coming from the back of the store

the girl knew that whimper, she had heard it before!

When she felt truly lonely, it was the sound that she made

and whoever this whimper belonged to, it too was sad and frail

The girl followed the sound until she arrived to a cage

she could never had foreseen what she was about to face

Inside the cage was a tiny puppy, both white and black

and as soon as the girl saw it, she thought she’d have a heart attack

She couldn't believe her eyes

there was Husky again, full of life.

The puppy looked precisely as the drawing she once had made

it even tilted its head, just the same

How is it possible? The girl wondered for a while

but it certainly was her puppy, no doubt in her mind

Because on the cage, as if the puppy was waving a flag

it even said "Husky", right there on the cage sticker tag!

“Oh Husky, you're back alive my friend.

I'm sorry I failed you. Will you be with me again?”

The puppy raised its paws, and met the girl’s gaze

and in that moment, she felt the world was a better place

But soon the puppy's whimper turned into a big-dog bark

because behind the girl, now stood the bullies from the park

“It’s not named Husky,” they said condescendingly

“It is a Husky, that is its breed.

you can't name a Husky ‘Husky’, how stupid can you be?

And look at its eyes, one blue, and one brown.

it's a freak that should be buried underground”

The girl felt anger growing inside of her

never again would she allow bullying, no sir!

And she said, “You have no idea what being different means

you want the woods, but not the trees

You condemn what you don't see fit

and you push it down, bit by bit

You think you're clever to have the world resolved

but to really care, you need to be involved

In somebody different from yourself

to see life through someone else

But you just say your vicious things, and then you walk away

don't you understand that it’s you that are afraid?”

The bullies didn't understand what the girl had to say

but they got mad, anyway

They punched and pushed her to the floor

she fell hard, and hit her head sore

But not as sore as the bullies’ pride would come to be

when the puppy broke the cage, and bit their knees

“Police! Police!” the bullies cried

Police? Police? she wondered why

Puppies are known to often bite

a little sharp, yes, but very light

And let’s be honest, true, and earnest

who of the involved here began the fight?

Whatever the answer, basic or fancier,

the puppy and the girl, they escaped the store

and from that day on, they were bothered no more

They ran with love, they ran together

building their friendship to last through any weather

And when the night came knocking, the girl was content

she could not have been happier, by the rain’s surprise event

As she finally lay down to bed

a single thought swirled through her head

It was a simple longing, for a sense of belonging

for everyone, everywhere

I wish everybody would be so lucky

to have a husky

named Husky

To Be Continued…