I remember clearly,
It was my tenth birthday,
My parents had planned a surprise party.
But what intrigued me,
Was the big brown basket sitting on my bed,
With a red ribbon tied at the end.

At first, I had thought,
Grandma had sent her healthy oatmeal cookies.
But then I saw,
The brown cloth over the basket moved.

Fearfully I tugged the cloth,
Immediately you sprang upon me,
Licking my face as if it were candy.
Your brown eyes,
Looked innocently at me.
Your golden brown fur glistened,
As you sniffed around the unfamiliar room.

That day Mom and Dad had surprised me,
Not with the party,
I knew they were planning for weeks,
But with the new member of our home.

They had given me a gift, a blessing,
That no money could ever buy,
The gift of friendship and loyalty,
Handed to me in a brown basket with a red ribbon.

That day I met Cocoa for the first time,
That day I made a best friend for life,
My four-legged best friend,
Cocoa.

– Addy