--Newspaper Item
Only the human dead may lie
In God's good acre wide and fair;
Those of an humbler kind who die
May not have shelter there: --
Not Dan, who spent his lifetime in
Such deep devotion, such warm trust
Toward man, -- 'twould seem there might have been
Some corner for Dan's dust;
Not Chum, a little blind boy's guide,
Not Mike, who raced on eager feet
When school was out, to walk beside
The youngest on his street;
No place for Jack who, neighbor-wise,
Shared with a hungry cur his bone,
Nor Pete, whose heart was in his eyes
To hear his master's tone;
Nor Watch, who longed to range around
With brother dogs, but wanted most
To keep good guard, -- Watch, always found
Faithfully at his post;
No place for Sam, too small to teach
Great lessons to, whose only art
Was loving well one small lad, which
He did, with all his heart;
No room for Sandy down the road,
Who never, through the whole long span
Of his good life transgressed the code
Of courteous gentleman. . . .
Nor Max, who leapt a life to save
And lost his own, with peril near:
Look somewherre else for Max's grave,
The human dead lie here.
* * * *
Sleep well, you dead who never knew
Humanity. The Love on high
Who marks the faithful and the true
Remembers where you lie!
Nancy Byrd TurnerAll the Best Dog Poems