It’s been a few years now,
days, weeks, then months;
yet his stare still sojourns,
stuck in my healing heart.
What is it about memories
muddling minds; awakening
emotions buried deep then
overturning mended heart?
It was a pleasant March
surrounded by new birth;
cranes, cardinals, crows
shared the open spring skies.
What I didn’t know was death
invades at will; wearing weary
apparel even on lovely days
when birds sing in full chorus.
It was our last moments,
his eyes filled with love and
longing to remain, to be at
my side strolling spring paths;
No longer ours to share!
https://earthweal.com/2021/03/15/earthweal-weekly-challenge-the-animal-gaze/
“He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds.
He counts the number of the stars;
He calls them all by name.
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
Psalm 147:3-5
Patti Wolf 
Thank you for sharing this. If human beings could collectively feel the pain of every living beings, what a world we could have. I have personally felt that dogs really can talk through their eyes, even better than humans as they tend to hide their emotions. Such a marvelous being around us.
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A tender and sad offering Goodbye is always hard.
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Oh, you capture the pain of losing a beloved dog and yes it is in their eyes and they just always want to be with you. And they will struggle on to do that against all odds as I let my dog do. ( the one still in my image, from over 10 years ago) Its a beautiful poem and tribute and you are so right how death lurks in springtime too. You have made my eyes well up too so beautifully expressed and felt.
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Thank you so much. I can tell you have been there to say your own “good byes”.
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Yes, hard. But so much love.
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So sad, the loss of a beloved friend! At least you had that beautiful connection which is possible between humans and other animals.
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A poignant poem, Patti, of memory and loss. I like the way you convey the sound of pondering with alliteration in ‘memories muddling minds; awakening emotions… mended heart’, the cheerful sound of the birds in ‘cranes, cardinals, crows’, and of sorrow in ‘death invades at will; wearing weary apparel’. I still miss my dog Jasper, who died 13 years ago on 14th March. We never forget the gaze of faithful dogs.
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Lovely. Such intimacy in that domestic gaze.
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I agree
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They don’t struggle to stay, they just don’t want to leave, because they know they’re going somewhere we’re not. Dogs are a gift.
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They truly are…
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I really like this “death invades at will; wearing weary apparel even on lovely days”. So well said, so true.
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… it gave some personality to death, though rarely welcomed
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Yes indeed.
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Gah. This made me cry. My Pup was the same – he did not want to leave me. Their gaze is the truest look of love on the planet. Sigh. A beautiful poem that went straight to my heart.
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Sherry… they are so faithful. I think that’s what makes it more difficult.
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