Love Poem: Old Tom
Nadine Hof Avatar
Written by: Nadine Hof

Old Tom

Old Tom was a stunning dog
But only back in his day
For now he had an injury
That prevented him from play

He lay upon his master’s porch
And kept a keen alert
Although his leg was not the best
His mind was far from dirt

For each other they held great respect
Though they were both getting on
Yet no one had more trust in them
Than each other all along

He stroked old Tom’s head with a smile
He never said a word
The respect was between them
But seldom ever heard

But one night sitting on the porch
Old Tom and his master sat
They fell asleep under the stars
While Tom received a pat

Morning came and Tom awoke
His master didn’t make a sound
He nudged his master’s arm aside
And slumped off of the ground

He knew that something wasn’t right
He knew it in his heart
He started to whimper
He nearly fell apart

He nuzzled under his master’s arm
And tried to lift it so
He found himself panicking
He just would not let go

With great leap he jumped up
On to his masters chest
The jolt seemed to work a miracle
And awoke him from his rest

He took a breath quite shallow
But one was good to Tom
This old dog still knew some new tricks
He was happy and not alone

Now friends can be quite special
And Tom’s master will tell you so
When all else seemed so lost
Old Tom would not let go.