They were found
placed ever so neatly
on the stair.
A bit of dirt,
small twigs,
a crumpled leaf, in parts.
Evidence of
your last climb.
The last few hours
we’d hugged you,
pressed your paw,
fed you cookies,
gathered round
your bed.
How soundless
when pain leaves
the echoing room
with sunlight rising
and falling
on a
bit of dirt,
small twigs,
a crumpled leaf, in parts.
Small, quiet, final gifts
regretfully swept away
after parting.
© 2024 Jennifer Wagner
For Sumana’s prompt at What’s Going On? Aubade (traditional or modern)
For our beloved labrador, Druke, 2000-2016.
10 comments:
Oh Jennifer, you know how much this poem resonates with me. I love the small gifts he left behind. Gah. They are such beloved creatures, how we miss them. This is a really beautiful poem. So glad you shared it with us.
That imagery is heartbreaking.. the sweeping away the small gifts the next morning- a finality ...very poignant.
"How soundless
when pain leaves"...
This stony silence creates such an emptiness! One could hear a mournful tune as the sunlight rises and falls. Sherry rightly says "beloved creatures". They are truly gifts to us. A poem full of love and sweetness.
Thank you for joining us Jennifer.
Oh, this is so touching, Jennifer. I just had to say good-bye to my favorite dog of all times a few weeks ago, and I am still raw. I can see your beloved Duke has left you a special gift - of this poem - even 8 years later. It never stops being hard.
"with sunlight rising and falling" - loved that line and the way it works in the poem. Great writing
A wonderful tribute to a wonderful dog. Beautiful writing, I loved the imagery!
Oh my goodness. You've written so poignantly about something that is so hard on our hearts.
The details of those traces left behind sits so heavy on our hearts as it does yours, so beautifully do you set them before us, understated but saturated with tears and profound loss. I've walked this valley a few times. We never forget those details, do we? Especially loved:
"How soundless
when pain leaves
the echoing room
with sunlight rising
and falling" -- mimicking the rise and fall of a chest. Brilliant imagery, and so poignant.
Beautiful blog
Publish immediately! So good!
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