THERE’S no better dog nor Hardcastle’s Rake:
Not a hundred guineas would Hardcastle take.
For his wall-eyed dog: an’ Ben is a man
Who takes good money whenever he can!
But Rake’s worth more to him nor brass,
An’ Hardcastle luves him more nor his lass
Nor his bairns: at least so our neebors say:
An’ his owd lass laughs wi’, “Happen, he may;
But our bairns are fed by a sheep-dog’s work,
An’ Rake is a dog ‘at niver ‘ull shirk;
On a winter’s neet he’ll snore on t’ hearth,
An’ at slightest stir in t’ fold or t’ garth
He’s at our Ben’s side; togither they ‘ull go
Out on t’ moor in hail or snow;
An’ some hours later they’ll baith coom in
Tired an’ famished, an’ dirty as sin. . . .
When our Ben goes on his last lang trudge,
Doon t’ Valley o’ Death, thro’ rain an’ sludge,
An’ wins at last to t’ Gowden Gate,
Theer’ll be trouble in Heaven if Rake, his mate,
Can’t pass; our Ben ‘ull rampage an’ shout
If ony saint shuts his sheep-dog out;
If Peter refuses to have him? By gow!
At yon gate theer’ll be a hell of a row!”
(Dorothy Una Ratcliffe)
More Poetry from Dorothy Una Ratcliffe:
Dorothy Una Ratcliffe Poems based on Topics: Man, Sin, Work & Career, Winter, Heaven, Death & Dying, Snow, Dogs, Hell- T' Farmeress To Her Son On Active Service (Dorothy Una Ratcliffe Poems)
- Song for a Gathering of Yorkshiremen (Dorothy Una Ratcliffe Poems)
- Granny Mat To Her Granddaughter Matilda (Dorothy Una Ratcliffe Poems)
- Japonica (Dorothy Una Ratcliffe Poems)
- A Dialogue (Dorothy Una Ratcliffe Poems)
- Girl To Her Chance-Bairn (Dorothy Una Ratcliffe Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Man Poems, Death & Dying Poems, Heaven Poems, Work & Career Poems, Sin Poems, Snow Poems, Winter Poems, Hell Poems, Dogs PoemsBased on Keywords: coom, sludge, guineas, neet, garth, niver, theer, gowden, neebors, sheep-dog, gow