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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
A BELATED MEMORIAL, by AMOS RUSSEL WELLS Poet's Biography
First Line: Forty years of varied weather
Last Line: He bounds to me.
Subject(s): Animals; Dogs
First Line: Forty years of varied weather
Last Line: He bounds to me.
Subject(s): Animals; Dogs
Forty years of varied weather
(How the impish decades fly!)
Since we lived our lives together,
My dog and I.
Forty years of thought and action,
Failure, struggle, pain, success,
Play and passion, friendship, faction,
Curse me, and bless.
Back through all the mess of living, --
Time's commingled sun and fog, --
Merry, faithful, fond, forgiving,
I see my dog.
He was one who knew no meanness,
Nor the shadow of a lie;
Lived we two in spirit-cleanness,
My dog and I.
He was one who, always sunny,
Never knew an anxious thought;
Counted glory, counted money,
As less than nought.
He was one who knew no other
Praise or blame than I might bring;
I was father, I was brother,
His judge and king!
How we frolicked, single-hearted.
Over meadows, through the wood!
How my frets and fears departed,
And all was good!
Not a word, yet that dear creature,
By his bearing and his looks,
Said in each expressive feature
Far more than books.
Forty years of varied going,
Highway, byway, steady jog;
Few men better worth the knowing
Than that old dog.
Few have been so loyal to me,
Few have I so truly served,
Few to hearts unfailing drew me,
And never swerved.
This memorial belated,
Let it stand for men to see,
Till in heaven, recreated,
He bounds to me.
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AFTER AN ILLNESS, WALKING THE DOG by JANE KENYON
DANCING WITH THE DOG by SUSAN KENNEDY
A BATTLE SONG (WRITTEN IN THE WORLD WAR) by AMOS RUSSEL WELLS