The following poem is a poem for my dog Shadow, who lived a long and loving life, as written by my mother, Debbie. Shadow and my mom were very close as the only women in our household and often the only ones home during much of the day. I miss her very much.

Shadow

There are people who wonder why

someone owns a dog.

To them you’re chewed up shoes, carpets and vet bills by the pound.

They will never know the joy we have

by having you around.

The sparkle in your eye when the day begins

and you go out to explore

The wagging tail and smiling face when

you greet me at the door.

Your rambunctious moments of energy when

you love to play tug of war

No they will never know the joy

of having you around

They’ll never see the love you show

when the boys come back to town

or the sense of comfort you give when

bad news comes our way.

They only see the dog hair and that you

don’t always obey.

They don’t see how you follow me and are always by my side,

or the total trust you give me when I take you for a ride

They’ll never see your happiness when you realize you’re going back home,

or when I get your leash out, and you know it’s time to roam.

No they’ll never know the joy we have by having you around,

or how lucky we were when we brought you home from the pound.

I know your days are numbered,

our time together is winding down,

but I’ll never forget the joy you gave me,

For having you around.