To a Friend that I Will Dearly Miss

An early gift from Santa, one we certainly didn’t anticipate.

It’s hard to believe that now, almost 17 years later, this glowing personality we celebrate.

Your nose, at first, was bashfully pink; you were afraid of your own bark.

But your boldness soon showed, as you’d take yourself for walks to the park.

You never could control your excitement for rides in the car,

And your curiosity, surely, would always somehow find you an empty peanut butter jar.

A true performer: “Bang!” and “Roll over!” would win you a treat.

And the broomstick-agility course wasn’t quite your favorite, around the poles you would cheat.

Other dogs and people might have found you a little rough-

Your love of wresting and your bulldog face made you seem awfully tough.

But you were really a sucker for belly rubs; and scratches behind the ears would go far.

Then you’d shower a visitor with kisses, and respond excitedly to “Here they are!”

Strong enough to jump and catch your rope from the floor to Podgi’s brow,

And patient enough to take my “bops” on the nose or Dad’s fighting words: “What you gonna’ do now?!”

Sliding on the wooden floors and your singing voice would make us laugh,

But all hell would break loose and when it was time to give you a bath.

Your constant love and resilient company have been such valued comfort.

Our house was never quiet, resonating with either gentle snores or a charming, skrunkly-nosed snort.

You gave us all a warm welcome to come home to every day,

And you’d cheer us up when we were down, with your unaffected, relentless desire to play.

Now as this house sits in vacant silence, I sit and look back on our time.

I realize now, more than ever, that you were more than just a dog of mine.

We shared such joyous moments, things I won’t ever forget.

Your time on earth was spent well; yet cut short, and that’s my only regret.

I hope you know that I was there for you

Because I know that for me, you undoubtedly would have been there, too.

I’ll miss you, my friend, my little guy.

I hope that you can go off now to chase those squirrels in the sky.