The first time

I remember the first time I met my dog,

He was such a cute puppy with his left ear perked up

And the other one down,

I remember the first time he left home with me

We ran together on the grass

And he barked his little bark,

He chased all the squirrels and the birds

But I remember the day he stopped running,

He only sat and watched the squirrels and the birds,

And his barks of joy started to sound like a cry,

I remember the vet too

I remember holding him and talking to him,

About all the times we would run around together

I remember the last time his left ear perked up

Like he was a pup again

I held his paw as he shut his eyes for the last time

Unaware that he would not open them for me again

I cried and he barked for the last time

That mournful old bark,

Like he was saying goodbye

I put my face next to his like I did when we were kids

I think that then he knew

I was saying goodbye too…

• Ln <3