Old Animals Poem by Jan Oskar Hansen

Old animals

When my dog got old, she liked to sit
Beside me on the sofa when I watched Tv.
If I turned the volume up, she grumbled
it disturbed her snoozing.
She became contemplative, apparently
in deep thoughts.
Does a dog know that life is not unlimited?
Can a dog dream of the past how fun it was?
chasing rabbits in the wood.
Or does a dog only live in the now?
Some dog owners put their elderly dogs down
saying they will not see their pets suffer.
Balderdash, they do this because an old dog
is no longer playful and attractive.
Old dogs need more help to get up on the sofa
and are, sometimes,
incontinent.
Get a puppy, oh, so charming happy children
running in the grass.