There is an
old, old legend,
Of how it
came to be,
That dog
forsook the wild to dwell,
With folks
like you and me.
Now man and
beast they lived on,
A common
bit of earth.
Each specie
thought the other,
Of very
little worth.
One day
there was a rumble,
The earth
began to quake,
It gave a
mighty shudder,
And then
began to break.
A crack
began to widen,
Between the
beasts and man.
Some
watched the crevasse deepen,
But most
just turned and ran.
Now the dog
surveyed the distance,
And Man
beheld it too.
Between
them sprang a yearning,
A feeling
strange and new.
Then each
one begged the other
To make the
fateful leap,
Yet each
one dreaded jumping
A crack so
wide and deep.
So Dog
compelled his courage
And told
Man he would try.
He eyed the
fatal distance,
For if he
failed, he'd die.
Then Dog
prepared to jump across
His courage
had decided.
That if he
could but make the jump,
They'd no
more be divided.
His muscles
bunched beneath him;
His body
left the ground.
The wind
raced past his muzzle;
His heart
began to pound.
His senses
sought the purchase
Of land
beneath his feet.
At last his
forepaws met the ground.
His mission
was complete!
NO! His
hind feet have slipped and
He's
falling off the side!
His gallant
farewell look said,
"At
least, New Friend, I tried."
With
disbelieving glance, Man
Beheld his
falling friend.
He wouldn't
let it happen;
It couldn't
be the end!
Then flesh
smote air in searching,
And hand
met paw and fur.
Then Man
pulled Dog to safety
As heart to
heart they were.
Man called
and Dog responded,
And though
the gulf was wide,
Man gained
the loyal canine
Forever by
his side.
(Klea
Victoria Stilwell (1930-2009))
*****
There's not
much out there about Klea Victoria Stilwell. She was traveler and a great poet
/ story teller. Born April 11, 1930 , she married, had children,
grandchildren, and great grandchildren before she died in Georgia USA on December
28, 2009 .
In the internet world she is famously known for this deep and moving tale of
“Man and his best friend, the Dog”.
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