The neighbors dog

Many, many long years ago
When I was young with just my bro
Used to be sent outside to play
Spring, summer and autumn days

Neighbors dog got to know of this
Thought 'twas something he could not miss
Would jump the fence to join our gang
Sniffing around for every tang

When we ran he would run as well
Grinning when he sniffed a bluebell
Then jumped into streams just for fun
Then shake the drops on us when done

But shook his head when we climbed trees
Gave him chance to smell woodland breeze
Then follow us on our long trip home
Tongue hanging from his mouth alone

He'd rarely poke his head in our door
Just grinning asks "Do this once more?"
Then race down garden then under fence
Bob the dog with commonsense

But Bob was never on a lead
Didn't mind, didn't see the need
But one day he crossed the main road
Clipped by truck ran to our abode

Luckily the damage was slight
But it gave us and him a fright
We kept well away from traffic
As we hated to see him sick

Neighbors knew nought of this event
Free running Bob often absent
But he took care on future trips
Knowing trucks might give him the yips

Image found at https://aliciajoseph.com/2015/08/

Yes, there was Bob the dog in my childhood. As soon as we opened our back door and he heard our voices he would jump the neighbors gate come running up to us tail wagging and would do whatever we did but preferring the trips in the woods to chase squrrels or the open fields to chase us around. He wasn't keen on us climbing trees though! Yes, he was clipped by an army truck about 1944-5 as he decided to cross the road before us but no bones were broken. Sorry this is not his photo as camera roll film was virtually unobtainable in wartime Britain unless you had bought it pre war!