Reg

by Michele
(UK)

Reg

At six months old you came into our lives, too much for those before,
There were times when you drove us all crazy, always up to mischief,
You had some habits you needed to break and one by one you did it,
But you always kept your character …the things which made you special.

At 19 months you left this world, taken before your life had barely begun,
How am I supposed to stop grieving you?
I wake in the morning and my stomach collapses with pain because you’re not here.
Sadness fills me when I close my eyes as your memory engulfs me.
Why you? So young. Full of life.

The smooth texture of your velvet black coat, covering your muscular body,
Your long crinkled ears blowing back in the wind as you gallop through fields of gold,
Those huge paws, black like a bear's, pounding the ground gracefully,
That feathered tail smashing like waves into expectant legs.

‘Go get the birdies’ my son would shout and you would fly like the wind,
The jingle of my husband holding your lead would send you into overdrive,
And the way you were so excited to see my daughter, running in and out,
As for me, you eased my anxieties and soothed my soul.

I’m so sorry you didn’t get to live your life,
But know that you can never be replaced.
I’m so sorry I wasn’t there when you passed,
But know I will always love you.
I’m so sorry your life was short,
But know you will never be forgotten.