Happy, Uplifting, Poems and Songs for a Dog Memorial Service
June 25, 2017 8:30 AM Subscribe
I am organising a non-religious Service of Remembrance for people to honour their departed dogs. I am after suggestions for appropriate poems and songs for this service.
We have a wonderful dog fosterer curate-in-training to MC and read a poem, and a wonderful singer who has kindly donated her professional time to our non-profit dog rescue's previous events. We have two amazing potential venues. What we do not have is a suitable poem and a suitable vocal piece.
The ideal is something vaguely uplifting rather than sob-inducing but regardless, every dog poem I can find is a) truly terrible b) gag-tastic. I now know why everyone uses The Rainbow Bridge, because it is the least objectionable dog poem going. We'll use it if that's the best/only real choice, but I hoped MeFites would have better options.
As for the music, I got nothin'.
We have a wonderful dog fosterer curate-in-training to MC and read a poem, and a wonderful singer who has kindly donated her professional time to our non-profit dog rescue's previous events. We have two amazing potential venues. What we do not have is a suitable poem and a suitable vocal piece.
The ideal is something vaguely uplifting rather than sob-inducing but regardless, every dog poem I can find is a) truly terrible b) gag-tastic. I now know why everyone uses The Rainbow Bridge, because it is the least objectionable dog poem going. We'll use it if that's the best/only real choice, but I hoped MeFites would have better options.
As for the music, I got nothin'.
Best answer: Have you checked out poems from Mary Oliver's book "Dog Songs"? I'm not terribly familiar with that particular book, but you might find something good.
Example: The Storm (Bear)
I love another of her poems that features a dog but I'm unsure if it fits your needs. But "Dog Songs" will give you a number of options.
posted by cnidaria at 8:42 AM on June 25, 2017
Example: The Storm (Bear)
I love another of her poems that features a dog but I'm unsure if it fits your needs. But "Dog Songs" will give you a number of options.
posted by cnidaria at 8:42 AM on June 25, 2017
Bottle Rockets, "Dog"
I love my dog
He's my dog
If you don't love my dog
That's okay
I don't want you to
He's my dog
I love my dog
He's my dog
If my dog don't love you
That's okay
I don't want him to
He's my dog
Sometimes it's just this simple
Sometimes life is just this simple
Sometimes life is really just this simple: I love my dog
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:51 AM on June 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
I love my dog
He's my dog
If you don't love my dog
That's okay
I don't want you to
He's my dog
I love my dog
He's my dog
If my dog don't love you
That's okay
I don't want him to
He's my dog
Sometimes it's just this simple
Sometimes life is just this simple
Sometimes life is really just this simple: I love my dog
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:51 AM on June 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
Cat Stevens, "I Love My Dog"
I love my dog as much as I love you
But you may fade, my dog will always come through.
All he asks from me is the food to give him strength
All he ever needs is love and that he knows he'll get
So, I love my dog as much as I love you
But you may fade, my dog will always come through.
All the pay I need comes shining through his eyes
I don't need no cold water to make me realize that
I love my dog as much as I love you
But you may fade, my dog will always come through.
Na, na, na, na, na, na, nana...
I love my dog as much as I love you
But you may fade, my dog will always come through.
Na, na, na, na, na, na, nana...
I love my dog, baby, I love my dog. Na, na, na...
I love my dog, baby, I love my dog. Na, na, na...
posted by peakcomm at 9:05 AM on June 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
I love my dog as much as I love you
But you may fade, my dog will always come through.
All he asks from me is the food to give him strength
All he ever needs is love and that he knows he'll get
So, I love my dog as much as I love you
But you may fade, my dog will always come through.
All the pay I need comes shining through his eyes
I don't need no cold water to make me realize that
I love my dog as much as I love you
But you may fade, my dog will always come through.
Na, na, na, na, na, na, nana...
I love my dog as much as I love you
But you may fade, my dog will always come through.
Na, na, na, na, na, na, nana...
I love my dog, baby, I love my dog. Na, na, na...
I love my dog, baby, I love my dog. Na, na, na...
posted by peakcomm at 9:05 AM on June 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
Jimmy Stewart wrote a touching poem about his dog, Beau: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwGnCIdHQH0
posted by Boogiechild at 9:08 AM on June 25, 2017
posted by Boogiechild at 9:08 AM on June 25, 2017
Phillip Phillips' Gone, Gone, Gone isn't explicitly about dog ownership, but it always makes me think about pet loss:
I'll love you long after you're gone
posted by schroedingersgirl at 9:10 AM on June 25, 2017
I'll love you long after you're gone
posted by schroedingersgirl at 9:10 AM on June 25, 2017
Not exactly a poem but could be read like one.
DOG RULES
1. The dog is not allowed in the house.
2. OK, the dog is allowed in the house, but only in certain rooms.
3. The dog is allowed in all rooms, but has to stay off the furniture.
4. The dog can get on the old furniture only.
5. Fine, the dog is allowed on all the furniture, but is not allowed
to sleep with the humans on the bed.
6. OK, the dog is allowed on the bed, but only by invitation.
7. The dog can sleep on the bed whenever he wants, but not
under the covers.
8. The dog can sleep under the covers by invitation only.
9. The dog can sleep under the covers every night.
10.Humans must ask permission to sleep under the covers
with the dog.
posted by BoscosMom at 9:25 AM on June 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
DOG RULES
1. The dog is not allowed in the house.
2. OK, the dog is allowed in the house, but only in certain rooms.
3. The dog is allowed in all rooms, but has to stay off the furniture.
4. The dog can get on the old furniture only.
5. Fine, the dog is allowed on all the furniture, but is not allowed
to sleep with the humans on the bed.
6. OK, the dog is allowed on the bed, but only by invitation.
7. The dog can sleep on the bed whenever he wants, but not
under the covers.
8. The dog can sleep under the covers by invitation only.
9. The dog can sleep under the covers every night.
10.Humans must ask permission to sleep under the covers
with the dog.
posted by BoscosMom at 9:25 AM on June 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Here's suggestions from a previous answer:
Billy Collins' Dharma:
...
The way the dog trots out the front door
every morning
without a hat or an umbrella,
without any money
or the keys to her doghouse
never fails to fill the saucer of my heart
with milky admiration.
Who provides a finer example
of a life without encumbrance—
Thoreau in his curtainless hut
with a single plate, a single spoon?
Gandhi with his staff and his holy diapers?
...
Good luck! There are a lot of other great poets with doggy poems given as answers to that previous askme (Dorothy Parker, William Stafford, Jane Kenyon, Pablo Neruda)--there might be one to your liking in there.
posted by neda at 9:30 AM on June 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
Billy Collins' Dharma:
...
The way the dog trots out the front door
every morning
without a hat or an umbrella,
without any money
or the keys to her doghouse
never fails to fill the saucer of my heart
with milky admiration.
Who provides a finer example
of a life without encumbrance—
Thoreau in his curtainless hut
with a single plate, a single spoon?
Gandhi with his staff and his holy diapers?
...
Good luck! There are a lot of other great poets with doggy poems given as answers to that previous askme (Dorothy Parker, William Stafford, Jane Kenyon, Pablo Neruda)--there might be one to your liking in there.
posted by neda at 9:30 AM on June 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
Harry Nilsson had a couple:
The Puppy Song
Me and My Arrow
...BTW this may be the sweetest AskMe ever.
posted by bonobothegreat at 11:07 AM on June 25, 2017
The Puppy Song
Me and My Arrow
...BTW this may be the sweetest AskMe ever.
posted by bonobothegreat at 11:07 AM on June 25, 2017
Because I have a warped sense of propriety, the first thing that came to my mind was The Revenant, one of my favorite Billy Collins poems. If it were me, I might find comfort in the non-gagtastic doglife after dogdeath vision, but use your own judgment here.
I've linked to a video of him reading it, because Billy Collins reading Billy Collins can't be beat.
posted by janey47 at 1:21 PM on June 25, 2017
I've linked to a video of him reading it, because Billy Collins reading Billy Collins can't be beat.
posted by janey47 at 1:21 PM on June 25, 2017
Jane Siberry's song, Everything Reminds Me of My Dog. It's a funny, gentle, happy bouncy song that makes me smile every time I hear it.
Everything reminds me of my dogposted by hurdy gurdy girl at 2:37 PM on June 25, 2017
Beautiful things
Sunsets remind me of my dog
(Gina go to your window)
Einstein reminds me of my dog
I want to pat his fluffy head
This whole world reminds me of my dog
My dog reminds me of this whole world
Do I remind you of a dog?
James Taylor and Mark O'Connor - Ol' Blue.
When old Blue died he died so hard
He shook the ground in my back yard
We lowered him down with a golden chain
And every link we called his name
posted by mulcahy at 8:23 PM on June 27, 2017
When old Blue died he died so hard
He shook the ground in my back yard
We lowered him down with a golden chain
And every link we called his name
posted by mulcahy at 8:23 PM on June 27, 2017
Response by poster: I'm very grateful for all of this help. I am sorry for my late return to this post; it was immediately followed by a period of not great stuff, including a viral outbreak. One of our directors had all eight of her dogs fall violently ill with hemorrhagic enteritis all at once, and now we have one more dog to honour at this ceremony. One of our own dogs is also ill and struggling.
I have a copy of the book of poems and we've got great material here for more readings. We're still on the hunt for a song. Thank you so much for helping the people who will be helped with this service.
posted by DarlingBri at 5:47 AM on July 6, 2017
I have a copy of the book of poems and we've got great material here for more readings. We're still on the hunt for a song. Thank you so much for helping the people who will be helped with this service.
posted by DarlingBri at 5:47 AM on July 6, 2017
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by BoscosMom at 8:37 AM on June 25, 2017