Lament For Simon Poem by Harley White
Lament For Simon
Once my neighbor asked of me
would I, for a modest fee,
tend his dog? "It won't be hard;
he will stay in our backyard.
We'll be gone a week or so
and be back before you know.
Here's his leash and dog food, too.
This is all you need to do:
feed and walk him once a day;
he won't try to run away.
Just around the block's enough.
If he tries to play too rough,
grabs your shoe and will not drop it,
just say 'no', and he'll stop it.
I am awfully grateful to you.
If a favor I can do you,
be it big or be it small,
all you have to do is call.
Have you got it? Okay, then,
see you soon, and thanks again."
Simon, Simon, canine breed,
is that really all you need—
just a walk, a bowl of food?
All day long in solitude
there you wait.What do you do
till I come to care for you?
Do you dream of females fair,
long to take the mountain air?
Do you wonder why you're living—
what you're getting, what you're giving?
How you frolic when I'm there!
When I leave, do you despair—
feel unloved, neglected, blue?
I imagine that you do.
One half hour company—
that is not enough for me.
I'm a person— you're a dog.
Still, we have a dialogue—
animals of different name—
are we not a bit the same?
Image ~ Red Setter ~ Percival Leonard Rosseau (1859 -1937)
..feed and walk him once a day..I expected the Milky Way...be it big or be it small..a favors shadow still stands tall..., oh heavenly poetess, you come down to earth with a humble poem, the anomaly involving time dilation...watching a neighbors dog for two light years.....or weeks, I loved it! ! !
Oh my, your high praise takes my breath away! This was written eons ago (so it seems) , handwritten and given to those neighbors. However, I saved a copy from days gone by and finally posted it. I am truly pleased that people can still resonate with that simple poem. Thank you as always for this marvelous response!
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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8/2/2025 10:58:35 PM # 1.0.0
I’m glad you saved it and posted it also for the poetry world to see, sometimes I read something I have written years ago and had forgotten, then when I read it years later...I think I would like to go in the past and visit my younger self for I realize that I have changed so much...and I kind of miss the old self, if that makes sense, again...I always find it a joy to read anything you pen!
Yes, what you say makes sense and I still like quite a few of my poems from earlier days. But I must say that I wouldn’t want to go back and be that self again. At any rate, I’m pleased that you enjoy the diversity of my works, some of which surprise me from the past. Thank you!