Old Dog Poem by Nancy Butterworth

That old dog labored and jumped to his feet
As his angel of mercy pulled in off the street
He managed a few barks, staggered about
With gentle coaching he even went out
And for the last time he stood in the sun
Though the days were past when he would have run
His hazy old eyes reflected the light
And he looked ready to give up his fight
Though his tail wagged and his ears stood alert
He stoically hid confusion and hurt
As if to protect us from worry still
Standing ready through sheer force of his will
When reason would tell you he should fall down
Might he have wanted a last look around?
The angel smiled sadly, shaking her head
And told us the news we had come to dread
The way to honor this dutiful soul
Was to place a feast in his doggie bowl
While he gobbled down his favorite treat
We stroked him and praised him with words so sweet
Caressing and kissing his velvet ears
We wet his beautiful head with our tears
The angel brought peace and suffering’s end
And we bid farewell to our loyal friend
With an ache in our hearts, we watched him go
Calm and stillness replaced his struggle though
While we remain here to manage our grief
We find some contentment in his relief
We share funny tales of him as a pup
For the time being this cheers us all up
We imagine him somewhere running free
Chasing a chattering squirrel up a tree
Or on his side stretched out in the warm sun
Legs twitch while he dreams of his morning run
Or flat on his back, full belly in view
With his front paws bent, like a kangaroo