Old dog,
Why do you stay so near?
Go lie in the sun and
drowse.
You needn't follow my
every step,
And jump up when I
appear.
Your joints are stiff;
You've earned a rest;
Lived your life well;
Passed every test.
Old dog.
Why do you stay so near?
You lie close to my side
Each time I pause,
Head in my lap, alert to
hear
Every nuance of my
voice. You long ago made your choice
And never once looked to
the rear.
Old dog.
Why do you stay so near?
What is it that you
hear?
A far-off call, coming
closer,
That I, too, know is
there?
With each day our time
together
Draws nearer to its end.
Please stay a while, old
friend!
(June Goodrich, March 1977)
No comments:
Post a Comment