Our watchdog, watching out
For us every step – perfectly
Quiet paws moving our way,
Always watching when he
Thought we might stray.
He was quiet, very quiet
For a big dog, a ninety-pound
Chocolate lab. He didn’t make
A sound but his presence was
Profound. His body was
Growing with toxins, poisons,
Sepsis and cancer, but he
Never let on. He just came
Silently alongside us to guide
Us along. He died today. He
Just gave up the ghost and
Now in the silence all around
We imagine his paws pawing
The ground silently looking
For us, finding us and loving us
In ways eternally profound.