My people are scared.
They run and they call.
They’re packing their things,
As the bombs fall.
I can’t find my mom.
She’s out herding the sheep.
She’s one of the dogs
My people keep.
I hear a man say,
“We can’t carry that pup.
He can’t come with us.
He just won’t keep up.”
I tried to follow,
But I can’t run that fast.
I sat there & watched them,
Through the desert they passed.
The sounds hurt my ears,
The air fills with smoke,
My eyes are both burning,
I’m starting to choke.
A bomb fell right by
Where I decided to sit.
I flew through the air,
Landing in a deep pit.
Afraid and trembling,
I curled up in a ball
And stayed in that crater
‘til the bombs did not fall.
Then all was silent.
There was nothing to hear,
Until a calm voice
Softly spoke in my ear.
New people are coming.
They come to get you.
You’ll not herd sheep.
You’ve a new job to do.”
“This work you are given
Will be fun, you will find.
You’re perfectly suited.
I know you won’t mind.”
“Marines are now driving
Down this dirt road.
Your job is to help them
Remember their home.
They’re far, far away
From those they hold dear
And some have forgotten
How to hold loved ones near.
Shrapnel and sand
Were all over me.
I tried to climb out,
But it made my paws bleed.
So I cried and I barked
And hoped they would hear.
Their trucks kept on coming.
They were very near.
“Stop the truck!” the man shouted,
“There’s a dog. He sounds hurt.”
He slid down in the crater and
Tucked me in his shirt.
Back in the truck,
I was so happy they’d come!
He looked down in my eyes
And thought of his home.
His heart beat some faster,
As when love makes them do.
It was right at that moment,
My big job, I knew.
The men then decided
I needed a name,
So out of the bombings,
“Scud”, I became.
Memories of home,
Good, bad and all,
People and feelings,
I made them recall.
Against regulations,
As no dogs should they keep,
In an old ammo crate,
In the day, I did sleep.
And it smelled just like heaven
By his feet, at the end
Of his sleeping bag, where,
The nights I did spend.
I loved my new person.
I stayed right by his side.
Whenever he left me,
I sat there and cried.
I loved chewing boots
And destroying shoe laces.
How excited this got them!
They made great funny faces!
With cuddles we brought back
Their family scenes.
What marshmallow hearts
Had these big tough Marines.
We played fetch with a shoe
And shared MRE bags.
My favorite, by far,
Was the ham and eggs.
Trust and care of each other,
So fragile we’d be.
Sometimes I was teacher,
At times they taught me.
32 missions
Along I did travel,
And 1,000 miles
As the war did unravel.
and more…