When I was four years old, my father told my mother he wanted to go look at some German Shepherd puppies. Emphasis on look, not buy. But once he got there, a little golden ball of fur won him over, and this dog became our one—our only ever—family dog, Sable. My sister and I grew up beside her, and I ran around with her outside in all seasons, played hide-and-seek with her in the house, told her my secrets, whispered stories in her ear, fell asleep with her in the back seat of the car.
There’s something magical about animals. There’s something even more magical about kids with animals—no matter the animal. Sometimes I feel like children still know another type of language that allows them to communicate with animals in a way that defies words.
Animals teach kids about love, and, eventually, also about loss.
When I was sixteen, Sable started having trouble with her back legs, finding it more difficult to get up. When I was seventeen, my father took her to the vet to see what else could be done to help her as she was hardly moving from her bed. He came home with only a leash and a ton of grief in his hands, and I was never the same.
Which brings me to this poem by Joe Wilkins:
This poem was first published in The Sun and is posted here with permission from the poet. You can learn more about Joe Wilkins here. The title of this blog is taken from the last line of the poem. Thank you, Joe Wilkins, for this moving poem (but you’re making me cry my eyes out every time I read it!).
It’s National Poetry Month. Every week during the month of April, I will be sharing poems I love from contemporary writers. I hope to pique your interest in poetry, if it needs to be piqued, and to show you that a really great poem can be accessible to all.
“See” you next week with another poem.
Photo credit: Chandler Cruttenden
If you missed last week’s poem, you can find it here.
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