Dog Poems

BEHIND THIS KENNEL DOOR

As a pup I dreamed and wondered
What life would hold in store.
For me, I thought, there's something great!
Beyond that kennel door.
Out there are needy people
And I have much to give;
Love, and wit, and gentleness
To help them learn to live.

I'd be someone's protector,
Keep little ones from harm,
Or guide an old man's weary steps,
Or help to run a farm.
I'd run and bark and jump and play
With friends along a sandy shore,
I'd roll in meadows thick and green
That lie beyond that kennel door.

I'd lay there waiting -- longing--
As the days and years went by.
My owner kept me fed and brushed,
But inside, he let me die.
I do not think of greatness now,
I'm old and filled with pain.
My owner has some ribbons,
But I have lived in vain.

I cannot think what could have been,
My dreams are filled with hope no more.
Just floor and walls and broken heart
BEHIND THIS KENNEL DOOR!!!

~ Author Unknown ~

GOOD-BYE

With heavy hearts, and a tear in our eyes
After all these years, we must say goodbye.
Please understand, we've done all we could
If there was anything we could do, you know we would.

I'm sitting right here, gently rubbing your ears
While I talk to you softly, trying to hold back the tears
The memories you gave us, we'll never forget
Especially the ones of the day we all met.

One last hug and one last kiss
You have no idea how much you'll be missed.
To look into your eyes this one last time
You tell me it's okay, you know it's your time.

Close your eyes now and go to sleep
We'll pray to the Lord your soul he'll keep
Go in peace now, our good friend
We'll stay right here with you until the end.

Dream of that special day and time
When we'll meet at the Bridge and all will be fine
We'll run and play, side by side
With a soft warm feeling deep down inside.

Your memory will live on in each one of us
You'll always be number one to all of us
Have a safe journey through the night
I promise when you awake, you'll be in God's light.

So with heavy hearts and tears in our eyes
Just for now my friend, we say goodbye.

~ John Quealy ~

THE POWER OF THE DOG

There is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day;
And when we are certain of sorrow in store,
Why do we always arrange for more?
Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.

Buy a pup and your money will buy
Love unflinching that cannot lie
Perfect passion and worship fed
By a kick in the ribs or a pat on the head.
Nevertheless it is hardly fair
To risk your heart for a dog to tear.

When the fourteen years which Nature permits
Are closing in asthma, or tumour, or fits,
And the vet's unspoken prescription runs
To lethal chambers or loaded guns,
Then you will find - it's your own affair
But ... you've given your heart to a dog to tear.

When the body that lived at your single will,
With its whimper of welcome, is stilled (how still!)
When the spirit has answered your every mood
Is gone - wherever it goes - for good,
You will discover how much you care,
And will give your heart to a dog to tear.

We've sorrow enough in the natural way,
When it comes to burying Christian clay.
Our loves are not given, but only lent,
At compound interest of cent per cent.
Though it is not always the case, I believe,
That the longer we've kept'em, the more do we grieve;

For, when debts are payable, right or wrong,
A short-time loan is as bad as a long
So why in Heaven (before we are there)
Should we give our hearts to a dog to tear?

~ Rudyard Kipling ~

THE RAINBOW BRIDGE
(Inspired by a Norse legend)

By the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill,
Is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.
Where the friends of man and woman do run,
When their time on earth is over and done.

For here, between this world and the next,
Is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.
On this golden land, they wait and they play,
Till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.

No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,
For here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.
Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,
Their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.

They romp through the grass, without even a care,
Until one day they start, and sniff at the air.
All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,
Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.

For just at that instant, their eyes have met;
Together again, both person and pet.
So they run to each other, these friends from long past,
The time of their parting is over at last.

The sadness they felt while they were apart,
Has turned into joy once more in each heart.
They embrace with a love that will last forever,
And then, side-by-side, they cross over together.

~ Author Unknown ~

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