My dad adopted you in autumn’s gold,
On October 26, 2012
I was two years old, as my story unfolds,
That’s the day I first knew you.
I met you in the morning light,
your fur, I hold tight,
My ride or die, through joy and fright,
You were my everything, my soul,
We were alike—together whole.
Seasons turned, and puppies came,
You trusted me to guard their names.
Odd Sock, now Elliott, carries your spark,
A lookalike born on October’s arc.
Among eleven tiny paws I chose
The one who matched you, heart and nose.
White paws and colors on your back legs,
A fluffy chest, a lion’s pride it begs.
As years went by, your vision waned,
Your steps grew slow, your strength restrained.
I feared it was cancer, pain in your leg,
With every limp, my heart would beg.
Each step you took was laced with pain,
I watched you stumble, fall again.
You tried to rise from garden green,
Struggling softly, barely seen.
I’d lift you gently in my arms,
Cradling you safe from all harm.
I set you down inside or out,
On the garden grass or the sofa’s couch.
Weeks later, news fell like the sky
My parents said we’d soon say goodbye.
I cried, unable to let you go,
Not ready yet to face the woe.
I said my last farewell that day,
Took her picture to school, heart in dismay.
After class, my parents told me the truth
She was gone, lost in her youth.
Her hip muscles faded, her strength grew thin,
If only wheels could have helped her win.
The vet said no, it wouldn’t be right,
So we let her go, gently that night.
She lay with Mum, so sleepy and warm,
A final injection, free from harm.
I cried for hours alone in my gloom,
Knowing we’d lost her far too soon.