Canton, MO

I don’t know how I ended here
In Canton, Missouri.

We had a dog in my youth
With a sleek, shiny coat
A puppy that frolicked and yipped,
Tumbled and bounced, who would dote
On any tender hand, as he grew
He would leap and float
At the slightest command.

The years made his hair coarse
Flecked with white like snow
His hip would click and limp
When he trotted to and fro
If he fetched, when he returned
He would lie down by my toes
And rest his head on my feet.

One day I sought him in the yard,
By the porch, and around the gate
I called his name across the field
And I would wait, I would wait.
They told me old dogs can tell
They can feel the approach of fate
And wander to find some lonely place to meet him.

And I have now wandered here
To Canton.