Towards the end
I spent a time in a wondrous place full of green and sun
And the still porch I visited was the home of an old old dog
Grey and rheumy, with a woof that would warp the heart
I offered no snack, just a gentle scratch and a song sung low
Our creaking quiets twined and leashed us
And now he follows me or I follow him
I am never sure
I see in his cloudy eyes that he was a puppy once, all jumps and joys
I sense the worker he was, guarding the beloved
He and I know his age but he will still find his puppy paws
And postured vigilance
Sitting at my feet in peace, neither of us need him to learn new tricks
This old dog