The dog, often referred to as man’s best friend, is derived from an ancient, extinct wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. It was the first species to be domesticated by hunter–gatherers over 15,000 years ago.
JAKE
Jake, my dog, though canine-brained
and limited, has been well trained:
when I say sit-boy, sit he does,
when told to beg, he lifts his paws;
roll over, fetch, commands like that
denote that he is dog not cat.
What strange ancestor, long ago,
accepted man as friend not foe?
What breed of man could conquer fear
and bear to have a wolf come near?
His sense of smell, his alphabet,
helps him distinguish treat from threat.
With no thoughts of mortality,
he is more fortunate than me.
A good companion, loyal, true,
content with an old shoe to chew,
he’ll wait for me for hours on end
and, daily, strive to comprehend
remorseful words that I address
to him expecting nothing less
than the discretion of a priest,
omerta, at the very least.
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