by Audrey Wilmot

ON A VERY WARM SUMMER NIGHT IN SAN DIEGO IN 1985

I WAS MOURNING THE DEATH OF MY GRANDMOTHER

AND MY OLDEST BROTHER DREW

UNTIL THIS TIME DEATH HAD NEVER CROSSED MY DOOR.

SO I DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO GRIEVE THE FEELINGS OF LOSS

THAT I WAS CONSUMED BY.

I WAS SO ALONE AND I REMEMBER ASKING GOD IF HE WOULD

SEND ME SOMETHING TO LOVE THEN THE TELEPHONE

RANG AND THE WORST NEWS CAME OVER THE PHONE,

MY ROOM MATE AND DEAR DEAR FRIEND HAD BEEN KILLED

1 MILE FROM MY HOUSE IN AN AUTO VS

MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT,

I WAS DEVASTATED MY HEART FELT LIKE THE WEIGHT OF

THE WORLD WAS ON IT.

THEN I HEARD A SOUND FROM THE BUSHES NEXT TO ME,

I WONDERED WHAT COULD THAT BE THEN FROM OUT

OF THE SHADOWS PEERED A LITTLE PAIR OF SHINY GREEN EYES,

I HAD NO IDEA WHAT THEY WERE CONNECTED TO BUT I FELT

AS IF I WAS DRAWN TO IT WIPING THE TEARS FROM MY EYES

I LOOKED A BIT CLOSER IT WAS VERY SMALL AND I SENCED

VERY FRIGHTENED THEN IT RAN AWAY.

THE NEXT NIGHT I SAT OUT SIDE MAYBE IT WOULD RETURN

WHAT EVER IT WAS 2:00 AM THOSE SHINY GREEN EYES AGAIN

PEERED OUT FROM THE SAFETY OF THE BUSHES,

THIS TIME I COULD SEE WHAT IT WAS.

A VERY SMALL INJURED LITTLE DOG(CHIHUAHUA)WITH A WHAT

LOOKED TO BE A BROKEN LEG.

SHE WAS ALL BUT STARVED TO DEATH HER LITTLE RIBS WERE

PROTRUDING OUT HER SIDE AND SHE TREMBLED WITH

FEAR AS IF THE WORLD HAD BEEN CHASING HER.

I DECIDED THAT IF THIS LITTLE DOG WOULD TRUST ONE MORE HUMAN

THAT I WOULD MAKE THE REST OF HER LIFE A BLESSING FULL

OF LOVE GOOD MEDICAL ATTENTION AND TAGS THAT SHOWED

HER AND THE WORLD THAT SHE HAD A LOVING HOME.

THE QUESTION WAS COULD SHE EVER TRUST ANYONE AGAIN

TIME WAS NOT IN HER FAVOR STARVATION WOULD

SOON TAKE HER LIFE IF SHE DIDN’T TRUST ME..

SO NIGHT AFTER NIGHT I SAT OUT SIDE WITH FOOD AND

WATER A LITTLE DISTANCE FROM WHERE I SAT.

ONE NIGHT A VERY HOT SUMMER NIGHT SHE DECIDED TO

COME TO THE WATER BOWL SILENTLY I LAID LIFELESS

WHILE SHE DRANK AND ATE JUST INCHES FROM ME.

I ASKED GOD TO HELP ME TO HELP HER,

THAT NIGHT SHE LAID NEXT TO ME AND WE BOTH FELL ASLEEP,

SHE HAS BEEN BY MY SIDE THRU THE MANY YEARS.

MY DEAREST FRIEND NOW IS 17 YEARS OLD AND HAS

CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE SHE IS ON MEDICATIONS 3X DAY.

AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE IS FADING AWAY.

I KNOW THAT SOON I WILL HAVE TO LET GOD HAVE BACK

HIS LITTLE DOG.

BUT IT BREAKS MY HEART THINKING ABOUT SAYING GOOD-BYE

WE HAVE HAD 15 OF THE MOST PRECIOUS YEARS TOGETHER

AND I CHERISH EACH AND EVERY DAY.

SHE IS BLESSED WITH KNOWING OUR TIME IS SO LIMITED

I HAVE NEVER HAD A DOG BEFORE AND I HAVE LEARNED

SO MANY LESSON ABOUT LIFE FROM PUPPIE

SHE IS MY ANGEL FROM GOD SENT TO ME WHEN I DIDN’T THINK

I WANTED TO TAKE ANOTHER BREATH ONE MORE DAY,,

BECAUSE SHE NEEDED ME TO FEED AND LOVE HER I DECIDED

TO STICK IT OUT ALL THESE YEARS AND I AM SO THANKFUL I DID,,

TO MY DEAREST FRIEND I KNOW OUR TIME IS DRAWING

NEAR AND DEATH DRAWS CLOSER EACH DAY TO OUR DOOR

BUT REMEMBER THAT I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU AND

I WILL NEVER EVER FORGET YOU AND

YOUR LOVELY SPIRIT,,,

Audrey