Poems

[lhczth]

It was suggested that we need a place to put all of the wonderful poems often written in memory of a beloved dog. They can now all be collected here.

No discussions please, just the poems and sayings.

Admin

[mmmontgomery]

...Grieve not, nor speak of me with tears, but laugh and talk of me as if I were beside you...
I loved you so-`twas Heaven here with you.


Lend Me a Pup

I will lend to you for awhile a German shepherd pup, God said,
For you to love him while he lives and mourn him when he's dead.
Maybe for twelve or fourteen years, or maybe two or three,
But will you, 'til I call him back, take care of him for Me?

He'll bring his charms to gladden you and should his stay be brief,
you'll always have his memories as solace for your grief.
I cannot promise he will stay, since all from earth return,
But there are lessons taught below I want this pup to learn.

I've looked the whole world over in search of teachers true
And from the folk that crowd life's land I have chosen you.
Now will you give him all your love,
Nor think the labor vain,
Nor hate Me when I come to take My puppy back again?

I fancied that I heard them say "Dear Lord Thy will be done,"
For all the joys this pup will bring, the risk of grief we'll run.
We'll shelter him with tenderness, we'll love him while we may,
And for the happiness we've known forever grateful stay.

But should You call him back much sooner than we've planned,
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes and try to understand.
If, by our love, we've managed Your wishes to achieve,
In memory of him we loved, to help us while we grieve
When our faithful bundle departs this world of strife,
We'll have yet another German shepherd and love him all his life.

-author unknown


When Tomorrow Starts Without Me.......

When tomorrow starts without me,
And I’m not there to see;
The sun will rise and find your eyes
All filled with tears for me.
I wish so much you wouldn’t cry
The way you did today,
Remembering how I’d lay my head
In your lap that special way.
I know how much you love me,
As much as I love you,
And each time that you think of me,
I know you’ll miss me too.
But when tomorrow starts without me.
Please try to understand,
That an angel came and called my name
And petted me with her hand.
She said my place was ready,
In Heaven far above,
And that I’d have to leave behind
All those I dearly love.
But, as I turned to heel away,
A tear fell from my eye,
For all my life I never thought
That I would have to die.
I had so much to live for,
So many “sits” and “downs” to do
It seemed almost impossible,
That I was leaving you.
I thought about our lives together,
I know you must be sad,
I thought of all the love we shared,
And all the fun we had.
Remember how I’d nudge your hand,
And poke you with my nose?
The ball that I would gladly chase,
The bad guy, I’d “bark and hold”.
If I could relive yesterday,
Just even for awhile,
I’d wag my tail and kiss you,
Just so I could see you smile.
But, then I fully realized,
That this could never be;
For emptiness and memories
Will take the place of me.
And when I thought of treats and toys,
I might miss come tomorrow,
I thought of you and when I did,
My dog-heart filled with sorrow.
But then I walked through Heaven’s gate,
And felt so much at home;
As God looked down and smiled at me,
From His beautiful golden throne.
He said, “This is eternity,
And now we welcome you,
Today your life on earth is past,
But here it starts anew.
I promise no tomorrow,
But today will always last;
For you see, each days’s the same day,
There’s no longing for the past.
Now you have been so faithful,
So trusting, loyal and true;
Though there were times you did things,
You knew you shouldn’t do.
But good dogs are forgiven,
And now at last you’re free;
So won’t you sit here by my side,
And wait right here with me?”
So when tomorrow starts without me,
Don’t think we’re far apart.
For every time you think of me,
I’m right there, in your heart.

author unknown

Melissa [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/20_bawling.gif[/img]

[forbes]

To be followed home by a stray dog is a sign of impending wealth (chinese proverb)

I lost a treasured friend today,
the little dog who used to lay her gentle head upon my knee,
and share her silent thoughts with me,
She'll come no longer to my call,
retrieve no more her favorite ball
A voice far greater than my own has called her to his golden throne
Although my eyes are filled with tears,
I thank him for the happy years
He let her spend down here with me and for her love and loyalty,
When it is time for me to go and join her there, this much I know,
I shall not fear the transient dark for she will greet me with her bark

author unknown

[Mustangs49]

Dear Lord,

Please open your gates and call St. Francis
to come escort this beloved companion
across the Rainbow Bridge.

Assign her to a place of honor,
for she has been a faithful servant
and has always done her best to please me.

Bless the hands that send her to you,
for they are doing so in love and compassion,
freeing her from pain and suffering.

Grant me the strength not to dwell on my loss.
Help me remember the details of her life
with the love she has shown me.
And grant me the courage to honor her
by sharing those memories with others.

Let her remember me as well
Let her know that I will always love her.
And when it's my time to pass over into your paradise,
Please allow her to accompany those
Who will bring me home.

Thank you, Lord,
for the gift of her companionship
and for the time we've had together.

And thank you, Lord,
for granting me the strength
to give her to you now.

[IliamnasQuest]

The Greatest Gift
Karla M. Bertram, 11/23/96



I always knew this time would come,
From the very instant our eyes first met.
How I loved you then! How I love you now!
I made a promise then and I keep that promise now . . .
You will not suffer from a pain that will not heal;
You will not know the loss of a life remembered, now gone.

It is for me alone to make this decision,
The price for the bright joy and pure laughter
You brought me during the time we shared.
I am the only one who can decide when it is time.
When my hope dies, and my fears ride high,
Just when I need you most, I must let you go.

It is for you alone to tell me when you are ready.
For without your guidance, I will not know
When to lay my grief, my guilt, my anger,
My sorrow and my selfish heart aside
And give you this last gift, this greatest gift.
Your eyes will speak to mine, and I will know.

The pain of this moment is excruciating.
Tears stream down my face in a river of sorrow,
And my heart drowns in a pool of grief.
For you have spoken, and I have listened,
And unlike other decisions I have made.
This one brings no relief . . . no comfort . . . no peace.

For if there's one thing you've taught me,
If there's only one thing I've learned. . . .
Unconditional love has a condition after all,
I must be willing to let you go, when you speak to me
I must be willing to help you go, if you cannot go alone.
And I must accept my pain so you can be free of yours.

Go easily now, go quickly now,
Do not linger here, it is time for you to leave.
Go find your strength, go find your youth.
Go find the ones who've gone before you.
You are free to leave me know, free to let your spirit soar
Rest easy now, your pain will soon be gone.

I pray I will find comfort in my memories . . .
In the dark and lonely days ahead.
I cannot say I will not miss you, I cannot say I will not cry.
For only my tears can heal my broken heart.
But, I promise you this: as long as I live,
You will live, alive in my mind, forever in my heart.

So I give you this last gift, all I have left to give,
And this will be my greatest gift . . . sending you away.
It is the measure of my unconditional love . . .
For only the greatest love can say,
"Good-bye, go find the bridge, we'll meet again,
Loving you has been the greatest gift of all."

[IliamnasQuest]

Not quite a poem, but appropriate ..



The Best Place
Author Unknown

We are thinking now of a German Shepherd, whose coat was flame in the sunshine and who, so far as we are aware, never entertained a mean or unworthy thought. This shepherd is buried beneath a cherry tree, under four feet of garden loam, and at its proper season the cherry tree strews petals on the green lawn of her grave. Beneath a cherry tree, or an apple, or any flowering shrub of the garden, is an excellent place to bury a dog.

Beneath such trees, such shrubs, she slept in the drowsy summer, or gnawed at a flavored bone, or lifted her head to challenge some strange intruder. These are good places, in life or in death. Yet it is a small matter, and it touches sentiment more than anything else. For if the dog be well remembered, if sometimes she leaps through your dreams actual as in life, eyes kindling, questing, asking, laughing, begging, it matters not at all where that dog sleeps and at last. On a hill where the wind is unrebuked and the trees are roaring, or beside a stream she knew in puppyhood, or somewhere in the flatness of a pasture land where most exhilarating cattle graze. It is all one to the dog, and all one to you, and nothing is gained and nothing lost -- if memory lives.

But there is one best place to bury a dog. One place that is best of all. If you bury her in this spot, the secret of which you must already have, she will come to you when you call -- come to you over the grim, dim frontiers of death, and down the well-remembered path and to your side again. And though you may call a dozen living dogs to heel, they shall not growl at her nor resent her coming, for she is yours and she belongs here. People may scoff at you, who see no lightest blade of grass bent by her footfall, who hear no whimper pitched too fine for mere audition, people who have never really had a dog. Smile at them then, for you shall know something that is hidden from them, and which is well worth knowing.

The one best place to bury a good dog is in the heart of her master.

[G Girl]

Should NOT have read these at work [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/20_bawling.gif[/img]

Here is one of my personal favorites:
I'm Still Here

Friend, please don't mourn for me
I'm still here, though you don't see.
I'm right by your side each night and day
and within your heart I long to stay.

My body is gone but I'm always near.
I'm everything you feel, see or hear.
My spirit is free, but I'll never depart
as long as you keep me alive in your heart.

I'll never wander out of your sight-
I'm the brightest star on a summer night.
I'll never be beyond your reach-
I'm the warm moist sand when you're at the beach.

I'm the colorful leaves when fall comes around
and the pure white snow that blankets the ground.
I'm the beautiful flowers of which you're so fond,
The clear cool water in a quiet pond.

I'm the first bright blossom you'll see in the spring,
The first warm raindrop that April will bring.
I'm the first ray of light when the sun starts to shine,
and you'll see that the face in the moon is mine.

When you start thinking there's no one to love you,
you can talk to me through the Lord above you.
I'll whisper my answer through the leaves on the trees,
and you'll feel my presence in the soft summer breeze.

I'm the hot salty tears that flow when you weep
and the beautiful dreams that come while you sleep.
I'm the smile you see on a baby's face.
Just look for me, friend, I'm everyplace!

Author Unknown

[Hawkllore]

A DOG'S PRAYER
By Beth Norman Harris



Treat me kindly, my beloved master, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for kindness than the loving heart of me.

Do not break my spirit with a stick, for though I should lick your hand between the blows, your patience and understanding will more quickly teach me the things you would have me do.

Speak to me often, for your voice is the world’s sweetest music, as you must know by the fierce wagging of my tail when your footsteps falls upon my waiting ear.

When it is cold and wet, please take me inside, for I am now a domesticated animal, no longer used to bitter elements. And I ask no greater glory than the privilege of sitting at your feet beside the hearth. Though had you no home, I would rather follow you through ice and snow than rest upon the softest pillow in the warmest home in all the land, for you are my god and I am your devoted worshiper.

Keep my pan filled with fresh water, for although I should not reproach you were it dry, I cannot tell you when I suffer thirst. Feed me clean food, that I may stay well, to romp and play and do your bidding, to walk by your side, and stand ready, willing and able to protect you with my life should your life be in danger.

And, beloved master, should the great Master see fit to deprive me of my health or sight, do not turn me away from you. Rather hold me gently in your arms as skilled hands grant me the merciful boon of eternal rest - and I will leave you knowing with the last breath I drew, my fate was ever safest in your hands.

[wire2wire]

not a poem, but also appropriate:

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the
scenery,
when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. He remembered
dying,
and that the dog walking beside him had also been dead for years.

Then he wondered where the road they were traveling on was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the
road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken
by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. When he was standing before it
he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like Mother of Pearl, and
the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked
toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.

When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, where are we?"
"This is Heaven, sir," the man answered.
"Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked.

"Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some iced water brought right
up."

The man gestured, and the gate began to open. "Can my friend," gesturing
toward his dog, "come in too?" the traveler asked.
"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets."

The man thought for a moment, shrugged, and then turned back toward the road
and continued the way he had been originally heading his dog.

After walking
together for another considerable distance, the man and his dog reached the
top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road which led through a farm
gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence.

As he
approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading
a book.
"Excuse me!" he called to the reader. "Do you have any water?"
"Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there".

The man pointed to a place that couldn't be seen from outside the gate.

"Come on in."

"How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog.

"There should be a bowl by the pump."

They went through the gate and sure enough, there was an old fashioned hand
pump with a bowl beside it. The traveler filled the bowl and took a long
drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.

When they were full, he and
the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree waiting for
them.

"What do you call this place?" the traveler asked.
"This is Heaven," was the answer.

"Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man down the road said
that was Heaven, too."

"Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope.
That's ****."

"Doesn't it make you mad for them to use heaven's name like that?"

"No. I can see how you might think so, but we're just happy that they
screen out the folks who'll leave their best friends behind."

[geg]

The Spirit of a German Shepherd Dog

I was standing on a hillside
In a field of blowing wheat
And the spirit of a German Shepherd
Was lying at my feet.

He looked at me with kind dark eyes
An ancient wisdom shining through
And in the essence of his being
I saw love there too.

His mind did lock upon my heart
As I stood there on that day
And he told me of this story
About a place so far away.

I stood upon that hillside
In a field of blowing wheat
And in a twinkling of a second
His spirit left my feet.

His tale did put my heart at ease
My fears did fade away
About what lay ahead of me
On another distant day.

"I live among God's creatures now
In the heavens of your mind
So do not grieve for me, my friend
As I am with my kind.

My collar is a rainbow's hue
My leash a shooting star
My boundaries are the Milky Way
Where I sparkle from afar.

There are no pens or kennels here
For I am not confined
But free to roam God's heavens
Among my Shepherd kind.

I nap the day on a snowy cloud
Gentle breezes rocking me
And dream the dreams of earthlings
And how it used to be.

The trees are full of liver treats
And tennis balls abound
And Milkbones line the walkways
Just waiting to be found.

There even is a ring set up
The grass all lush and green
And everyone who gaits around
Becomes the Best of Breed.

For we're all winners in this place
We have no faults, you see
And God passes out those ribbons
To each one, even me.

I drink from waters laced with gold
My world a beauty to behold
And wise old dogs do form my pride
To amble at my very side.

At night I sleep in an angel's arms
Her wings protecting me
And moonbeams dance about us
As stardust falls on thee.

So when your life on earth is spent
And you stand at Heaven's gate
Have no fear of loneliness
For here, you know I wait."


Author unknown