Monday, March 2, 2009

320. Racers in Retirement


RACERS IN RETIREMENT.

I've never kept a greyhound;
I'm not a 'doggie' soul.
And I've never watched them racing
In their 'raison d'etre' role.
But today I read about a girl
Who raises funds to save
The gentle canine creatures
Who may find an early grave.
Oh they're cosseted and tended
Like the athletes that they are,
When they still may catch that rabbit
And may prove to be a star.
But once those days are over
And they're growing slightly slow
They're thrown out on the scrap-heap;
 Not a pleasant place to go.
They're the gentlest of creatures;
You can see that in their eyes.
And if you have one as a pet
You've surely got a prize.
I've only known one greyhound;
He was elegant and tame;
His lovely legs were graceful 
And Ollie was his name.
So, in memory of Ollie,
A dog I wont forget,
I pen these lines suggesting
A greyhound as a pet.

7 comments:

Leslie said...

That was so beatiful and so true. My daughter and her family have two retired Greyhounds, they are so happy to be loved and treated well. They have a family for the first time in their lives. Thanks for sharing.
Hugs~~~~Leslie

Mari Meehan said...

This touched me. My niece and her family have adopted racing greyhounds for years and they are truly sweet, sweet dogs!

Anonymous said...

This is delightful. I do visit the greyhound races and I have to admit to not really thinking about what happens to them when they retire. Thanks for making me think!

Margaret Gosden said...

I lived next door to a greyhound and it sang along with the public Fire Station's alert calling in a fire incident. It was a hoot!

Darlene said...

What a sweet picture. The dog and child obviously love each other unconditionally.

The poem is a tribute to a gentle breed.

Kat said...

Agree with Darlene. The picture and poem are made for each other.

Buddhist in Training said...

I'm so sorry I haven't been over earlier, my week has been a bit hectic. It's a beautiful poem Rinkly, I will show it to Jedi tomorrow. Thank you!