Red Fern

A boy loves his dogs
more than pennies he collects
in an old mason jar
and dogs love their boy,
more than the scent of coons
or the joy of the chase

the boy feeds them table scraps
from his own plate
has them sleep on his bed
rather than the cold shed
the dogs love their boy
with a passion only wild things love

the boy loves his dogs
with a passion only young boys have
the dogs wiggle with joy at his call
lead him into the untamed woods
find prey for him, coon skins
and lay their lives down for him

where the red fern grows.

Ariel