Friday, March 08, 2013

Poetry Friday: Puppy

I had other plans for Poetry Friday today, but then this happened:


Puppy, 3/8/13

He found the puppy on the driveway.

He wondered how that happened,
Because this one was the smallest of the litter,
And couldn't walk yet.

He picked up the puppy,
And then I heard the sobbing.

As I held my little son, he told me,
"He didn't wake up! He's cold!
Yesterday he licked my face
And now he's dead!"

My son wants to know why;
Why the puppy died when it was innocent,
Why bad things happen,
But most of all,
Why something was alive
And now it's not:

How a puppy can lick your face one day
And the next, be only a cold body.

Ruth, from thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com

The roundup today is at My Juicy Little Universe.

7 comments:

Bridget Magee said...

My heartbreaks for your son and the cold puppy.

Liz Steinglass said...

Ruth,
I don't know how it can be. I've seen it happen right before me eyes, and I still don't understand how it can be. Hugs to him and to you.
Liz

Tara @ A Teaching Life said...

I could hear your son's anguish...how does one answer that question?

Matsu said...

Thank you for sharing this sad story while also immortalizing your son's experience. I am sorry for your loss.

Janet said...

So sad. Around here we've had some small pets die, and I'm convinced there are no small deaths, especially where any degree of love is involved.

Sarah SSM said...

Oh, I am so sorry. That's difficult. And not a question easily answered.

We actually lost one of our puppies last week, too.

Heidi Mordhorst said...

Hello, Ruth...I wonder how you have weathered this with your little one. But reactions like his are the ones that show us how humans are really born, with empathy and concern and love built in.