Lessons from the Family Dog

Watching my dog get sick has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.

Photo by Ryan Stone on Unsplash

I watched her wither
In silence,
The family dog.
She looked healthy,
But something told me she wasn’t —
It must have been that connection.

I heard her digging in the back yard,
Walking in circles for hours,
Her paws scratching at the floor.
She began gnawing her rope
Toys to shreds.

I should have known then,
But she looked so healthy,
She had even been eating more.

Though she wouldn’t sleep in my bed,
She’d leave our room if I left the door open,
So I kept it closed, And yet,
She would sleep on the floor.
So, I gave her the blanket and shivered.

I had never expected to wake up
And find her gone one day.
Her head hanging
Off the couch,
In a cartoonish fashion —
In the sense that you’d never expect it to happen.
Not In real life.