Banger: A Dog and My Cousin

In England we colloquially refer to dachshunds as “sausage dogs”, which was why my aunt and uncle’s dog was called Banger, a colloquial term for sausage. We were very close and he used to whine at the door when we went back home after a visit. He was terribly spoiled and my aunt and uncle would lure him inside from the car with a trail of doggie choccie drops, much like Hansel with his breadcrumbs. They also wiped his little paws every time he came in from a trip out. Anyone who has ever had to say goodbye to a beloved pet might be able to identify with this one. I wrote it on Tuesday 2 May 1989, at age 12.

Oh I remember Banger
I remember him so well
Oh how he felt or how he feels
Not even I can tell

We used to be so close together
Always in touch
I yearned to see him, hear his bark
I love him so much

I sometimes act so strangely
And feel so deep in thought
I’m taken away from the face of this earth
And by God’s powers am caught

I know I’m going to miss him
As anyone would
But to cry and yearn for him
Will do me no good

Sometimes I feel so selfish and so far away
Here are my thoughts of this dear dog
That only I can say

I love him, how I love him
I love him in my heart
I always feel and always will
We’ll never be broken apart

By Sarah Downing

My name is Sarah. I was born and grew up in England and currently live in Düsseldorf, Germany, with my fiancé Corey and my cuddly cat Biscuit. I work as a translator and writer for my own company Aardwolf Text Services (www.aardwolf.de) and I love vintage clothes and music, as well as singing karaoke.

3 comments

  1. Glad you like it, Christine. Do you mean the site or the poem? It’s probably a bit late to improve on the poem (I was 12 when I wrote it), but I’m all open for suggestions.

  2. BTW: Do you enjoy writing poems too? From your comments, I suspect that you do. Always glad to meet a fellow poet:-). I have one friend (Jayson – there’s a poem about him in here) with whom I love playing the rhyming game. We just talk in rhyme for ages – it’s a challenge, but a fun one.

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