Friday, July 10, 2020

Bird Dog

With Indian Head Intrigue
photo by Holly Higgins
BIRD DOG -
Deep chest, slim flank, great heart to stand the pace
And that unerring wizardry of scent
To trail the quarry in it's secret place;
Power and cunning, speed and wisdom blent -
these are the immemorial gifts that came
Out of  forgotten time's unfathomed gulf;
These are the fierce ancestral fires and flame
Undimmed, unchanged still - Son of Wolf.
Grave eyes, grave bearing, dignity of kings;
The gentleness and trust of a child;
The flawless poise that veils old savage things
But half remembered from the vanished wild -
These are the kingly qualities that came
On unremembered fields where sports began;
This is the clear glow of a steady flame
Undimmed, unchanging still - Comrade of Man
                                                       C.T. Davis