Odysseus, the master home again
after long wandering strange lands and seas,
contending twenty years with monsters, men,
and gods, observed his dog beset with fleas,
decrepit, curled upon a pile of dung,
ignored, abandoned by a careless world.

Thus lay Argos. Swarms of flies buzzed and swirled
around his wasted body. His head hung.
His legs lacked strength to stand. But that one voice
he knew. A scent he’d always recognize.
The man, to guard his beggarly disguise,
withheld all signs of care. He had no choice.

The dog’s ears pricked. He feebly wagged his tail.
Then knowing that his master had returned
he died. Odysseus shed hidden tears.
He dared not stroke the dog. Within he burned.
This final comrade lost to no avail,
and lost forever all those missing years.

*****
Richard Meyer writes: “After many decades, I’m reading The Odyssey again, the highly acclaimed translation by Robert Fitzgerald (1961). It won major awards and is considered a classic. Selections from the Fitzgerald translation were in high school English textbooks for years, including the one I used when teaching. I was prompted to revisit The Odyssey after seeing Christopher Nolan’s much talked about recent film adaptation of the ancient epic. The scene with Odysseus and his old dog Argos is one of the well-known episodes in The Odyssey, and a few days ago I had the notion to condense the scene into a modern poem. Most of my poems are written in the new formalism style, using rhyme, meter, and the traditional tools of poetry. In ‘Argos’ I use an irregular rhyme scheme and iambic pentameter meter, with occasional metrical variations for effect.”

‘Argos’ was first published in Facebook.

Richard Meyer, a former English and humanities teacher, lives in Mankato, MN. His book of poems Orbital Paths was a silver medalist winner in the 2016 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards. He was awarded the 2012 Robert Frost Farm Prize for his poem “Fieldstone.” His poetry has appeared in a variety of print and online journals and has also received top honors several times in the Great River Shakespeare Festival sonnet contest. He is also the author of Wise Heart, a memoir of his mother Gert who was born in poverty, came of age during the Great Depression, enlisted in the army during World War II, served overseas, achieved the rank of first sergeant, and was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious service performed during the Battle of the Bulge. Richard’s most recent book is Stumbling Onward, a collection of new and selected poems – and a 2026 revision contains over 50 new poems. His books are available on Amazon. 

“Dying dog” by Tostito Verde is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.