Mike

Dogs, as we know, are wonders of the world

So steadfast and loving and strong

We’re all better beings because of our pets

They enrich us our entire life long

Our family dog Mike was an Irish Setter

He’d belonged to our neighbor Lew Reed

But Mike only wanted to be with us kids

As sad as he felt, Lew agreed

Mike was a part of our family from the start

He’d lead us through the forest on hikes

He loved to chase the sticks that we threw

And he ran as we raced on our bikes

Our family would boat up the river

With six there was no room for Mike

He’d paddle behind the boat as we rowed

For a mile or more if we’d like

Each summer Mike fought with a porcupine

He’d be full of quills in the yard

The vet did his best to be gentle

Pulling quills from one’s nose is quite hard

One year in the middle of April

Mike ventured out onto the river

He fell through the ice in the water

We watched him and felt our hearts quiver

My mother told us to stay in the house

She crawled on the ice to our pet

She dragged Mike out by the scruff of his neck 

Such courage I’ll never forget

My grandfather figured Mike needed a pal

In Florida he bought a new setter

Micki was sent to Menominee by train

We found that two dogs were still better

Mike of course was the Alpha dog

He taught Mick the rules of life

First and foremost, no poops on the lawn

Besides that, there wasn’t much strife

But one day the dogs did get into a spat

My mother jumped in to intervene

We never knew who tore the gash in her arm

But it wound up a most bloody scene

Mike lived till I’d gone off to college

He died of a stroke in our yard

Our parents grieved and so did we kids

I’d never known anything so hard

I dug Mike’s grave in the field out back

I cried the entire time

Our family held a funeral of sorts

We’d lost a companion sublime

Mike was the heart of my growing up

He taught many lessons in living

How to be playful and loyal and kind

Most of all, the true value of giving