Rough Ballad
for Gilbert the Golden
by Marco Katz Montiel / June 29th, 2025
Here’s the tale of a faithful dog
for whom so many cried.
Yes, even though more people died,
his news spread far and wide.
We do not always show concern
when senators get shot,
but just one wounded golden dog,
that makes us care a lot.
Some folks who even like to cheer
when CEOs are struck
see bullets blasted at a dog
and wish him better luck.
When children have to mourn their folks
while putting down the dog,
it breaks the heart of each newshound,
the world is all agog.
Most readers will forget about
the human comedy,
but they will not forget the dog:
a greater tragedy?
I must admit dogs make me care
more than the common herd,
but still the human animals
are worthy of a word.
I know we ought to care about
all creatures of our kind.
Yet violence against a dog
will make me lose my mind.
Marco Katz Montiel composes poetry and prose in Spanish, English, and musical notes. He went to college late, and then alienated one university by publishing about bigotry on campus and got kicked to the curb by two others for his union activities. Still, Marco managed to graduate and even publish a book on music and literature with Palgrave. His essays, poems, and stories appear in
Ploughshares,
Jerry Jazz Music,
English Studies in Latin America,
Copihue Poetry,
Camino Real,
WestWard Quarterly,
Lowestoft Chronicle,
Dissident Voice, and in the anthologies
Cartas de desamor y otras adicciones,
There’s No Place, and the
Capital City Press Anthology.
Read other articles by Marco Katz, or
visit Marco Katz's website.
This article was posted on Sunday, June 29th, 2025 at 8:00am and is filed under Poetry.
