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Oh, he was a love, an absolute valentine, that
St. Brutus of the backyard and chewed up swing set when
we lived just an alleyway’s kiss from Shakey’s Pizza. You
couldn’t miss him, could always find
him, he, St. Brutus of the gentle jaws and powerful drool. So, it
left a hole, that swinging open gate, when it
became clear he’d been lured, or stolen, or sent, from us. Is
it that he had another mission, another boy or girl to rescue, to warm?
Oh, you may not have known where your new valentine came from,
but just know that it was warm from me.
© 2026 Jennifer Wagner
What’s Going On? Pets I Have Known
dVerse Poetry Form: Golden Shovel. Choose a line
from a poem and craft your poem so each line of your poem ends
with a word from your chosen line. I
chose the line “that when you find it, it is warm from me” from “Pocket Poem”
by Ted Kooser from his 2008 book, Valentines. I also used it in part as my closing line, though
that is not a requirement.
Written in memory of Brutus, beloved St. Bernard, bawling as I did so.
So heartbreaking to lose a lovable being like that, and not to know where he went and if he was okay. Devastating. Gah.
ReplyDeleteWhat a heart breaking story. Love how you described his gentleness and warmth, an absolute valentine, leaving a gaping hole in your lives.
ReplyDelete"St. Brutus of the gentle jaws and powerful drool."
ReplyDeleteI can see him! what a loss, that hole in your heart (gate) when he left--and what a beautiful poem you made for him.
A warm and lovely memory of a poem, so sorry for your loss of that gentle friend.
ReplyDeleteOh gosh, this has me crying, too. How sad and horrible to lose him like that. 💔
ReplyDeleteOh that saddens me greatly! What a vivid depiction of your St. Brutus. One of the saddest things, I think, is not knowing what happened to him. The known one can make some peace with, but the unknown always tugs at your heart as you wonder!
ReplyDeleteYour golden shovel is heartbreaking. hugs...
ReplyDeleteA loving golden shovel in his memory...I'm sorry he's gone, Jennifer! (and your reference to Shakey's pizza brought back memories for me too)
ReplyDeleteThis is heartbreaking. It's the not knowing that makes it difficult.
ReplyDelete😭😭😭
ReplyDeleteSo sad. I can feel the void in the heart when he was gone forever. And more ever there was no way to know where he had gone. The ache is palpable.
ReplyDelete