<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div><h1 class="entry-title" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Amatic SC", cursive; clear: both; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; text-transform: uppercase; font-size: 3.5rem; line-height: 1.4; color: rgb(98, 42, 20); -webkit-hyphens: auto; text-align: center; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">MY DOG</h1><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); background-color: white;"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); background-color: white;">by Joseph Anderson</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); background-color: white;"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); background-color: white;">Here is a friend who proves his worth</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br><span style="background-color: white;">Without conceit or pride of birth.</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">Let want or plenty play the host,</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">He gets the least and gives the most—</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">He’s just a dog.</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">He’s ever faithful, kind and true;</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">He never questions what I do,</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">And whether I may go or stay,</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">He’s always ready to obey</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">‘Cause he’s a dog.</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">Such meager fare his want supplies!</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">A hand caress, and from his eyes</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">There beams more love than mortals know;</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">Meanwhile he wags his tail to show</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">That he’s my dog.</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">He watches me all through the day,</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">And nothing coaxes him away;</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">And through the night-long slumber deep</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">He guards the home wherein I sleep—</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">And he’s a dog.</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">I wonder if I’d be content</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">To follow where my master went,</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">And where he rode—as needs he must—</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">Would I run after in his dust</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">Like other dogs.</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">How strange if things were quite reversed—</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">The man debased, the dog put first.</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">I often wonder how ‘twould be</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">Were he the master ‘stead of me—</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">And I the dog.</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">A world of deep devotion lies</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">Behind the windows of his eyes;</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">Yet love is only half his charm—</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">He’d die to shield my life from harm.</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">Yet he’s a dog.</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">If dogs were fashioned out of men</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">What breed of dog would I have been?</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">And would I e’er deserve caress,</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">Or be extolled for faithfulness</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">Like my dog here?</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">As mortals go, how few possess</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">Of courage, trust, and faithfulness</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">Enough from which to undertake,</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">Without some borrowed traits, to make</span><br><span style="background-color: white;">A decent dog!</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><br></div>—————————————————-<br><br><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">http://www.MoscowCares.net</span></div><div><br></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div><div><br></div><div>“A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met.”</div><div>- Roy E. Stolworthy</div><div></div></div></div></body></html>