Sentinals At My Door Poem by Robert Gilchrist

One by one they came
Up my driveway
One leading the other
Two dogs
I hadn't seen before

One small and fluffy
The other tall and black
Halting neck to neck
Sitting on their haunches
Just looking at the house

I wondered...

Who's dogs are these
And why are they here
Why is there no barking
From Ted, Bonnie or Charlie
Three dogs that bark at anything

As if on command
The two sentinals arose
And trotted away
Without a backward glance
In silence...

The telephone shatters my reverie
My Son with bad news
Charlie the wonder dog
Had been killed in an accident
Earlier that day.