My friends they are cutting me, one and all,
With a changed and a cloudy brow;
But my little dog always would come at my call —
And why has he not come now?
Oh! if he be living, he’d greet me, — but why
Do I hope with a doubtful “if?”
When I come, and there is not a joy in the eye —
When I come, and his tail lieth stiff?
Ah me! not a single friend may I keep! —
From the false I am gladly free,
And the true and the trusty have fallen asleep,
And sleep — without dreaming of me!
I have got my own soul fastened firmly and tight,
And my cold heart is safe in my bosom; —
But I would not now trust ’em out of my sight —
Or I’m positive I should lose ’em!
My one sole comrade is now no more!
And I needs must mumble and mutter,
That he, who had lived in a kennel before,
At last should die in a gutter!
He could fight any beast from a cow to a cat,
And catch any bird for his feast:
But, ah! he was killed by a big brick-bat —
And a bat’s nor a bird nor a beast!
He died of the blow! — ’twas a sad hard blow
Both to me and the poor receiver;
I wish that instead ’twere a fever, I know; —
For his bark might have cured a fever!
His spirit, escaped from its carnal rags,
Is a poodle all wan and pale;
It howls an inaudible howl, — and it wags
The ghost of a shadowy tail!
Old Charon will tout for his penny in vain,
If my Bob but remembers his tricks;
For he, who so often sprang over my cane,
Will easily leap o’er the Styx!
If Cerberus snarls at the gentle dead,
He’ll act but a dogged part;
The fellow may, p’rhaps, have a treble head,
But he’ll have but a base bad heart!
Farewell my dear Bob, I will keep your skin,
And your tail with its noble tuft;
I have kept it through life, rather skinny and thin,—
Now I will have it properly stuff’d.
(Prometheus Percival Pipps)
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Based on Topics: Life Poems, Sadness Poems, Joy & Excitement Poems, Friendship Poems, Sleep Poems, Birds Poems, Trust Poems, Ghost Poems, Dogs Poems, Cats Poems, Cows PoemsBased on Keywords: cerberus, rhaps, thin-, brick-bat