It's not about my 'external'
That tells you who I am
Please don't judge my appearance
But take some time to understand.

You may think you need a tri,
A sable or a blue
Can you 'fairly' pre-conceive
What 'color' is best for you?

What we offer is far beyond
Our "looks and personality"
What we offer is our hearts...
And souls for eternity.

Our eyes may not be 'set' right,
Our ears a total wreck
Our teeth may show our story
Of years of discontent.

Our coats may be quite matted,
And of course we have no tags,
We truly can't remember when
Our battered tails last wagged.

For we were left abandoned
To live our lives alone,
Or we were kept haphazardly
To "breed" or guard the homes.

For scraps of food, we did our parts
And acted loyally
Field mice, squirrels and garbage pails,
Our tummy's jubilee.

Look in our eyes to see what waits
For those who choose to risk
Look beyond what it is you see,
Or 'color' you perceive.

What we offer is far beyond
"Looks and personality"
What we offer is our hearts...
And souls for eternity.

Please take a chance, not just a glance
Of 'color' that you may see
Give us all our second chance,
To love YOU unconditionally.

...by Eileen Stephenson...

© 2006
Reprinted with Permission
All Rights Reserved