The Power of the Dog
There is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day;
And when we are certain of sorrow in store,
Why do we always arrange for more?
Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.
When the body that lived at your single will,
With its whimper of welcome, is stilled (how still),
When the spirit that answered your every mood
Is gone – whether it goes – for good,
You will discover how much you care,
And will give your heart to a dog to tear.
Rudyard Kipling