April 2008  

Elegaic Song    ©    by    David T. Manning
 

My wife cries as she rocks
our dying cat in her arms.
All my life I will remember this.

We have shared a long life—still
this is a pet, not a dying child.
If my sister died there would be
ceremony, condolences from those
we don’t even know.

But a pet’s death is a private sorrow.
What do I care for my neighbor’s Chow?
I feel ashamed at my grief.

I feel ashamed at my shame.
When a sparrow falls someone
must count. Why should I hide
what no one wants to see?

Previously published in the North Carolina Poetry Society's
Pinesong: Awards 2007. Used with the poet's permission.
NOTICE: The copyright © for this poem belongs to the poet.