Digger 

We called him Digger
because when he wasn’t too drunk
he dug graves.

We called him Digger
because he thought poorly
and a dog’s name seemed apt.

We called him Digger
because we needed to isolate
his sickness from our own.

We called him Digger
because he smiled as
his addiction betrayed him.

We called him Digger
because our help
failed each time.

We called him Digger
because when he went missing
we didn’t remember his name.

By Ed Ahern

Biography:

Ed Ahern resumed writing after forty odd years in foreign intelligence and international sales. Around a hundred twenty poems and stories published so far, and two books.