“My Spaniel”

He lies contented at my feet,
His half-raised head my fingers meet;
And dog and man both know the sweet
Of life, in comradeship complete.

Together hour on hour we spend;
And till the fast approaching end
I shall not be ashamed to bend
The knee, in thanks for such a friend.

Gazing at me as half-devine
The brown eyes send a surer sign
Than any cunning words of mine
That strive sharp meanings to define.

It lies not in his competence
To trace the wherefore and the whence;
He rests on some profounder sense
Than my too proud intelligence;

And is content to know not why;
but knows all’s well, while he and I
Seek out each other’s company –
And lays his nose against my thigh.


Sir William Beach Thomas
A Countryman’s Creed

I've had dogs all my life - big, little, hybrid; no-brid - but I've never had one now, at what seems my most unhappiest time of life. Age, declining health, income, and economy; and the lack thereof, are all crashing in on me at the same time. As my life winds down, my whole outlook on life has changed. I don't look at things with an eye to the future – what will this event bring me, and where will I be in a year or two? I feel now that I am stuck here. I want something to make me happy again - something to look forward to. Right now, my Pit, Sophie, is the one "thing" I have that makes me happy - 98% of the time, anyhow. She is rather needy, but in the good way. She's always happy to see me when the rest of the world seems to care little whether I'm in it or not. She's content to lay beside me and provide a place for me to rest my hand; preferably lightly scratching her as I watch TV. Most times I wonder what I'd do without her, or at least how long I'd retain my sanity...