Should Old Men And Dogs Travel Together? Poem by Thomas Noel Smith

Should old men and dogs travel together-
Down cobblestone roads
Past crumbling aqueducts
Into gaslight towns?

The old man’s beard blows in his face.
Frozen roads across his brow
Mark and trace his life…
Lines of laughter and of tears.

The old dog trembles with each step
Unsteady,
But not from fear or uncertainty
For what lies ahead

The two share a bench in the park
One feeds the pigeons that flutter around
Like waiting angels
That other watches quietly
And then he sleeps

A newspaper blows aimlessly
Through the grass
And lands on the worn shoes
Of the old man.
The sun starts to set
And a gust of wind
Opens the paper
To the obits

Should old men and dogs travel together?
Two anachronisms.
Time won’t forgive
Can’t forget
Can’t understand.