Thursday, July 06, 2006

i) When Your Buddy Dies……..

Loss.
It can be described in a million ways, yet I think for everyone loss is inevidable.

We can talk about a colleague at work who died suddenly or a family member that, “had a good life…” But I think all can agree that the loss of a Pet is really difficult.

It is the Unconditional Love, and attentive responses which make us feel so close to the animal.

Our Dog Cya died at 16 and she has been gone for about 5 years now. Carl and I still hear her walk into a room once-in-a-while, or we catch a glimpse of animal movement out of the corner of our eye.

We all know when our pet is suffering and we are certain our pet knows when we are suffering. That telepathic communication we become so dependant upon for our instant soothing and calm.


Last Wednesday my Best Friend Pauline had to put their dog Mookie down. Mookie was a loveable Chocolate Lab with a perky disposition. She was always happy about something. How do we know that? Well when you get whipped by her tail as many times as I have been, you sort of figure it out! Arthritis was now too painful for Mookie, and the family vowed they would never make her suffer.

Mookie was like my parents' old Dog Gentle. Gentle was a Black Labrador Retriever. She was a very maternal Dog and didn’t ever do anything threatening to anyone.

Labradors are noted for their great behavior in a family with kids and lots of activity. Mookie was no exception. Pauline’s kids were grown up when they got Mookie. No one would have even thought that Mookie would have grandkids to contend with! Mooks came through with flyin colours! Three kids under 5 all come and play at Grandma and Papa’s.

I didn’t want to write a poem for Mookie too soon. For I know Pauline is Devistated by Mookie’s passing and I figure a week is a good enough buffer for the post.



Lovey Pet


Tick, tick, tick, tick….
I hear you creeping in my morning


Whosh, whoosh, whosh, whoosh….
Along the wallpaper you brush by

Turn, Turn, Turn, Turn…
In tight circles before you lie down

Nudge, nudge, nudge, nudge…
One damp nose upon my arm

Scritch, scritch, scritch, scritch…
Can I apease you with your head in my hand?

Groan, groan, groan, groan……
Upp there’s my answer… Gotta play Man!

I love my busy silent mornings with my furred and pawwed pal
The dialogue is so greatly intriguing

If you could only speak!
What a story you’d tell!


Rest, rest, rest, rest….
My soft cheek against your ear.

Two hearbeats as one
Souls intertwined
Silent action

I am yours!
Your pet human..... aren’t I?

Your one eye tweeks up……
“What did I hear?!”

You hear so much my quiet friend
The only one I tell my secrets to.

Today you are gone….
What am I to do?



For Mookie

3 comments:

Lynn said...

If you are looking for your comment they are actually in a previous post. You will notice another post with the same name in the previous posts. I jigged the blog a bit to fit in a creative writing project I dont want on the front page. I have put a copy of your comments below here, so everyone can see what you said. Sorry. I am not creating links. Everyone who is commenting has a link in my blog network section. I appologize for the inconvenience.

Lynn


4 Comments:

*

Gosh Lynn,
I've got tears in my eyes...
Beautiful poem, it reminds me of my old friend 'Jed', my German Shepard I had - I have never not had a dog, but this one was extra special, beautiful nature and incredibly loyal.
It can be very sad when you lose a pet and sometimes people just don't understand, but I know exactly how Pauline feels.
Please pass on my best wishes to her.
It was very thoughful of you to write a poem for Mookie, I'm sure Pauline will appreciate it.
Warm Regards Danielle

By Baleboosteh, at 10:45 AM
*

I think everyone will have a tear in their eye. This feeling about pets is so universal. The poem was even hard for me to write. Our dog Cya, and my Parents' Dog Gentle were such great dogs, we could never replace them.
Pauline told me the day before they put the dog down that eventhough they had 4 dogs in the house, Mookie would be the one she would miss the most. Then coincidentally there was a serious incident with Mookie's health the very next day. I know that Pauline would appreciate the wishes.
Thanks,
Now We'll all have a good cry!

By Lynn, at 11:00 AM
*

Oh I am sorry to hear about your loss. It reminds me of my Pappa's dog who died due to cancer. Lovely poem and really touching

By charles, at 2:12 PM
*

best wishes to Pauline - it very sad when we have to make such a choice :o( But Mookie sounds like she communicated back and forth with them very well, a very loving knowing animal. No matter how long they are with us - a few months or many years, we are left with what you said 'Today you are gone, what are we to do?'

By RheLynn, at 2:14 PM

Lynn said...

I'm really sorry about the loss of Mookie. Before we moved out here to Ontario, we had to put down our dog Matilda. She was blind and was losing her hearing. There were somedays, strangely enough, in the "at-the-time" new house, I could hear her bark. My mom heard it sometimes too. Wether it was just the sound of our other dogs barking and echoing off the walls, or possibly her spirit watching over us, I'll never know. But I like to think that it was her, cause our little dogs can't bark the same way Matilda could.

-Geoff

By Geoff, at 8:47 PM

Lynn said...

Yep I know what you mean.
There is always a sound that you hear for years after you pet passes away.
My parents say that they can hear Gentle sometimes and she has been gone over 20 years.
I take comfort in that. I think that pets have souls too. I think that many pets end up guardian angels.

Lynn