The Loss of a Pet

He was the life of the family
The hurricane in the house
My sibling I’d say
Whom only plastic wrappers might rouse.
 
A little ball of fur he was
When he came home in a basket
And loved us no holds barred
Till he ended up in his casket.
 
With ears upright and a long bushy tail
He was strong and proud and never frail
But that couldn’t be said at the end of his days
For he was suffering in so many ways.
 
He’d chew everything to bits and mess up the place
Give him a cucumber, a carrot or coconuts
With a look so innocent, he’d leave it all behind
Before plonking himself on his furry butt.
 
Digging into his food bowl
When he had had his fill yet wanted more
A smart brat he would head to the corner
Where he knew his chow was stored.
 
His moist nose often found ours
In the wee hours of morning or night
Even after all this time
We cannot believe he’s gone into the light.
 
Never again will I hear him snore
Never again will I click him running in sleep
The house will never be the same again
For the loss and pain run deep.
 
Never will he get in our way again
Each time the doorbell rings
We won’t trip over his bones or toys
And all the other little things.
 
There is nobody to chase away the pigeons now
That frequent the terrace every day
The house is eerily quiet
There is nobody barking away.
 
Oh how he loved a drive
And to put his head outside
Kept everyone far from the car
And thoroughly enjoyed his ride.
 
Sleepless nights looking after a puppy
Or cleaning car seats and sofas multiple times
I’d do it all over again
If only he’d come back in his prime.
 
We never travelled much
Never took a vacation
If he couldn’t go with us
It wasn’t a great location.
 
It was a huge responsibility
Yes it was hard work
Caring for a pet
But totally worth the perks.
 
Who will play Catch with me now?
Who will chase the flies?
Who will melt our heart
With that head tilt and loving eyes?
 
He wasn’t crazy for tummy rubs or embraces
He preferred his personal space
But if you ignored him too long
You’d have him in your face.
 
How many times I hugged his warm body
Burying myself in his fur?
When I felt low or wept
He stayed with me for sure.
 
Whom will Dad and I let jump on the bed now
When Mom’s not watching?
And complain that there’s no more space
For he is already settled and napping.
 
He’d cuddle up between them both
Each winter night or cold morning
And wake me up with a swish of his tail
Or jump over without warning.
 
All the guests loved him
And he got pampered too
Ice cream was his biggest weakness
For that he’d actually obey you.
 
We often said he’d betray us for food
And anybody could take him away
But although he was friendly and loving
Nobody dared lead him astray.
 
He was a curious fellow
He’d want to know all that’s happening
Whether you were eating or furniture moving
He’d be around to check what you were doing.
 
He would definitely sulk
For we often cuddled another pet
I hope he forgave us
But he surely never did forget.
 
Vet visits were a fiasco
So were baths and teeth brushing
He’d love eating the toothpaste
But never gave in to grooming.
 
He was Mom’s companion
All the times that she was alone
But ignored me well
On Skype or on the phone.
 
We joked he was the runt of the litter
Or a cat in dog’s skin
But he never gave us reason to doubt
The courage and love within.
 
They can’t express their anguish
That causes us more pain
But how self-less they are
They don’t let us see the strain.
 
We know their lives our shorter than ours
But that never makes it easy
When you hear them whimpering
Or inactive and wheezy.
 
We tried our best
Ran pillar to post
For our little baby
Whom we loved the most.
 
We thought he would get better
That it was only a matter of time
The doctors would restore
His health and devotion sublime.
 
We were sure it wasn’t fatal
Someone would have a cure
And lived in denial
That anything could hurt a being so pure.
 
But it all went downhill so fast
He wouldn’t eat anything
He got weaker each day
And time was racing.
 
We couldn’t watch him in pain
We couldn’t fight destiny
We yearned to lessen his suffering
Or put him out of misery.
 
“He won’t make it” they said
And our world came crashing down
It wouldn’t sink in
That he was soon not going to be around.
 
We did what we could
But the inevitable was upon us
We gave each other strength
And tried not to make a fuss.
 
We hope you’re in a better place now
And there’s no trace of pain
We miss you every day
And wear you on a chain.
 
You pop up in every conversation
The anecdotes are immortal
They make people wonder
And some make them chortle.
 
If you’re watching over us today
You’ll see the emptiness you’ve left behind
But you’re probably up there making mischief
So there’s no need to rewind.
 
You taught us what ‘unconditionally’ means
You adored us with all you had
You completed our family
So there’s no reason to be sad.
 
We’ll never look at another German Shepherd
Without thinking of you
And keep you with us forever
In a love long and true.
 
We’ll never have regrets
We’ll never have worries
You have given us your life
And loads of great stories.
 
Don’t be scared
It is a new place I know
But one day I’ll meet you there
And we’ll be together like before!

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