Amelie
--
That sunny mountain afternoon
As you sped toward me, one ear up
The other hanging down
Tongue dragging the ground
Insinuating yourself into my lap
Your eyes searched deep into mine
You were the only one to see my truth
So completely, that of course I fell in love
It was an impossible connection
Your home was not with me
But I hoped with all my heart
You’d be mine one day
The look of fear in your face
When you realized once again
Your last human had returned you
Because of imagined defects
Kneeling to quiet your trembling
I promised “This is the last time”
Somehow you knew it was true
And off you ran to my front door
But you had not chosen me
I needed to know what you wanted
Later we visited your last human
And you ran to her with glee
I gulped with terror
What if you preferred her to me?
Then, while conversing with her
I felt your back press into my shin
As you looked up with those eyes
To say “I’m yours and you are mine”
There is nothing in this world
As sacred as being chosen by a dog
You and I have traveled
By car and various RVs
From Lake Tahoe to Portland
From San Francisco to Death Valley
We’ve hiked the Sierras
And portions of the Pacific Crest Trail
Steep jutting rocks overlooking
Pine forests and alpine lakes
We have been each other’s shadow
Facing life’s pleasures and challenges
Even the death of a family member
When you licked a tear from my cheek
Fourteen years gone in an instant
There will be no more hikes
No more adventures to new vistas
We are at the end of the trail
Eyesight failing
Hearing disappearing
Legs losing ground
Sleep is your friend now
How will I say goodbye?
Who will lick my tears this time?