Saturday, March 5, 2011

Dogs of an Eternal Winter

[image by Maxim Marmur at ft.com]

26,000 homeless dogs
roam the streets
of Moscow.
26,000 fur bundles
of love-
on-paws,
live hungry,
cold,
without shelter
in the freezing air.
Some are so smart
they know how
to ride the subway,
where the seats
are softer
than the frozen
concrete
streets
of the inner city,
and where for an hour
they share
some warmth
with the
human passengers.
Sometimes
they roam
together,
seeking
food and fellowship.
Hunger
is their
most constant
companion.

The city
planned
to send them
all to a gulag camp
outside the city.
Citizens protested,
knowing
they all would die,
and the news reports
ceased.
But keep an eye out
for sudden evacuations
by night.

No government bureau
is funded
to help
these most helpless
of
creatures.
A handful
of private citizens
do what they can.

The hungry dogs
of
an eternal winter
walk
the streets
of Moscow
with
questions
in their eyes,
and,
when they dream,
they dream
of spring.

19 comments:

  1. Sherry your love of animals is amazing, and this heart wrenching piece is a wonderful tribute to that....the hunger for nurturing of food and love is not just something people experience....animals need hope as well.
    "the hope of spring" :-)

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  2. In such dreams, they are exactly the same as mail ladies.

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  3. That's so sad. Dogs are amazing creatures. I hate to think that so many are living in the freezing cold of Moscow all alone.

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  4. a gulag for the dogs? whoosh, word choice, woman, that is very powerful. gives this tragic story a strong history, like we, as humans, should have learned this lesson already.

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  5. There's nothing that will replace the companionship and loyalty of a dog..your words paint a sad picture.

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  6. That brought tears to my eyes. Those poor animals. What a powerful, poignant poem!

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  7. and,
    when they dream,
    they dream
    of spring ~

    Such a beautiful poem..

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  8. Sherry,
    This is a story to tug at the heart strings of everyone. I hate to think of animals suffering anywhere in the world.
    Thank you for raising awareness of their pleight.
    Best Wishes for Sunday,
    Eileen

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  9. This poem is so sad and I taught me something. I did not realize Russia has no aid of any kind for homeless animals. That makes sense because they can barely take care of themselves I think. I'm glad there are citizens that will step up and try to do something. Such a bittersweet end that they all wish for spring. I love"fur bundles
    of love-
    on-paws" Beautifully said.

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  10. Sherry this is so heartbreaking to read, to know.

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  11. This breaks my heart. I had no idea.

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  12. Really sad. When we enjoy the comfort pf home during a cold winter day, these dogs are shivering outside. It's good to know that humans at least share subway seats with them, if not their homes. This is unheard of in India, where people are very cruel to their fellow creatures.
    Why should dogs be kept away from humans? Are they not our most loyal companions? If every house has a dog, things will be better, people happier, houses safer. Dogs themselves will benefit, as long as they are given the freedom to be themselves.
    Heart wrenching read. You've highlighted their plight wonderfully.

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  13. My two dogs had a few comments:

    Dexter: "Woof, wuff, woof-woof ruff!"

    Joey: "Arf! Arf-arf, bow-wow, Arrrf!"

    I think that sums it up nicely. Obviously they're glad to have a happy home.

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  14. Looking out for those who can only do so much looking out for themselves. Noble and loving. Great tribute to troubled four legged friends...loved it.

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  15. This is so sad. It's bad enough in our own country how we treat animals, but in other countries it's even worse.

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  16. powerful write on homeless dogs.
    how thoughtful you are.

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  17. This is haunting, so sad! I am glad you used the power of your words, your voice to let this be known. WE need to change the scenery! It hurts to know this...
    But I am glad you shared~

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  18. That's pretty sad.

    The last 3 beautiful lines at least offer the hope for something better.

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