I wrote this poem for Ludlow Charlington’s Doghouse: an anthology supporting Friends of Chicago Animal Care and Control.

At Ludlow Charlingtons Coffee Shop in Chicago, eleven ornate portraits of contemporary dogs dressed in historical costumes hang on the walls. (Ludlows: come for the coffee, stay for the portraits!) Nineteen writers took up the challenge to choose a portrait and make up a tale—thirty-four stories, poems, and plays, in all. Guarding kids, dealing with queens and kings. Captaining a pirate ship, creating a fashion trend. They span the globe and historical eras. These furry friends will leave you laughing and feeling warm and fuzzy.

As the editor, Tina Jens, says, “If you’ve ever wondered what Woof! means, we’re pretty sure it’s, Buy our doggone good book and do some good for dogs!”

This sonnet is for the regally dressed dog in portrait number six.

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Sonnet for Six

by Sue Burke

When a crown weighs heavy, when a kingdom
stands wide and windy, when the next message
may bring doom, a castle feels less a home
and more a trap entered by a drawbridge.
When loyalty wears threadbare, when a heart
wants courage, the dearest duty falls upon four paws,
the keenest ears peaked, the kindest eyes dark,
the strongest legs those that seek, find, and pause
in a hall before a throne, there to stay
as indefatigable companion.
A nose that nudges, a head that lays
on a lap. The king is never alone.
When trust yields sorrow and esteem disgrace,
A dog seeks out the hands that need its faith.