To The Stray I Left Behind

She licked the last crumbs off my fingers,

On my painted nails her soft gaze lingered.

A small whuff, a wet nose at my knuckles,

All that for a biscuit, a pat, an affection so fickle.

Sores covered the belly, the brown nose bled,

The vet was too expensive, too small my bed.

Still her tail wagged, her ears perked up,

Every time I passed her sidewalk to the grocery shop.

I turned away, too weak to bear a burden so great

As loving one whom I couldn’t help.