Poems by Bettina Van Vaerenbergh

The morning fog
- White and dense -
Comes creeping in
Through the garden fence.

Over the grass,
Over the lane,
All the way -
To my window pane.

Gone is our garden,
With the old oak tree;
A sea of white
Is all I see.

In my imagination,
My bed is a boat.
I open the window,
And I go afloat.

Smoothly I sail
On the foggy sea -
With my doll and my teddy
For company.

I am the captain,
They are my crew.
We're headed for a land -
No one ever knew.

The sea is calm,
All is going well.
The life of an explorer
Is really swell.

But then, just as I see
My destination loom,
Out comes the sun -
And I'm shipwrecked in my room!

Have you ever wondered
Why dogs don't live that long?
It's because their souls are true
And their love is strong.

Dogs give their heart away
Totally for free.
They love us as we are,
Unconditionally.

We people are slow learners,
So we need many years
To figure out life's purpose,
What we're doing here…

How to be gentle and kind,
And to be rich in love,
And how to live a good life -
Dogs know well enough.

Our loyal canine friends
Can teach us lots of things,
Like taking delight in nature;
The simple joy it brings.

Dogs enjoy the smell of grass
And the warmth of the sun.
They dig a restful midday nap
As much as a good run.

They're always very eager
To welcome a brand new day;
Always full of enthusiasm
For whatever comes their way.

All they ask is our attention;
Just a cuddle or a touch.
To be happy and content,
They really don't need much.

Dogs greet their special humans
Very passionate and loud;
They're not the least bit afraid
To let their emotions out.

No matter their age,
They keep a keen sense of play.
Dogs live mindful, in the now,
Seizing each and every day.

Dogs are always faithful;
The love they give is true;
That's why dogs don't have to live
As long as humans do!