losing a good, good dog
Much of the recent grief theme has been feline-intensive, given that Bubba happened to be a cat, and a good, good one at that. But I know there are so many other companion animal losses to be mourned as well. I remember how griefstricken I was when my first boyhood hamsters met their demise in a series of mini-tragedies, and my personal story "Me and 'Aminals'" mentions a few others. (Please feel free to share your own below, or on our Facebook page).
We can even feel the loss of animals we didn't have the opportunity to get very close to or know for very long, but still were able to develop a great affection and appreciation for. Each end to the life of a beautiful, unique creature reminds us with its own sting of what we know to be true: death is an enemy of life, of all beings and their Creator, which isn't meant to be (Revelation 21:4).
mourning a good, good dog ... But it would be a shame not to mention the special bond so many have with human's best friend. So, on behalf of those who have lost a beloved canine companion, I wanted to share the following touching poem by Henry Willett, "In Memoriam" (from The Dog's Book of Verse, 1916):
I miss the little wagging tail;
I miss the plaintive, pleading wail;
I miss the wistful, loving glance;
I miss the circling welcome-dance.
I miss the eyes that, watching, sued;
I miss her tongue of gratitude
That licked my hand, in loving mood,
When we divided cup or food.
I miss the pertinacious scratch
(Continued till I raised the latch
Each morning), waiting at my door;
Alas, I ne'er shall hear it more.
"What folly!" hints the cynic mind,
"Plenty of dogs are left behind
To snap and snarl, to bark and bite,
And wake us in the gloomy night.
"You should have sought a human friend,
Whose life eternal ne'er could end—
Whose gifts of intellect and grace
Bereavement never could efface."
Plenty of snarling things are left,
But I am of a friend bereft;
I seek not intellect, but heart—
'Tis not my head that feels the smart.
While loving sympathy is cherished,
While gratitude is not quite perished;
While patient, hopeful, cheerful meeting
At our return is pleasant greeting;
So long my heart will feel a void—
Grieving, my mind will be employed—
When I, returning to my door,
Shall miss what I shall find no more.
When we, at last, shall pass away,
And see no more the light of day,
Will many hearts as vacant mourn—
As truly wish for our return?
Yet love that's true will ever know
The pain of parting. Better so!
"Better to love and lose" than cold,
And colder still, let hearts grow old.
So let the cynic snarl or smile,
And his great intellect beguile;
My little dog, so true to me,
Will dear to heart and memory be.
In his deep-seated grief for the death of his dog and friend, which left such a gaping hole in his life, Willett is obviously put off by a lack of understanding from those who don't know what such a relationship is like (see our post "Pet Grief" for more on this dilemma). He also wrestles with the prevailing, seemingly rational conclusion that he has only memories to hold on to, not the hope of being reunited with his canine companion in Heaven. I've wrestled with this question so much myself since Bubba passed, and will share more of that struggle in the next post. Please know we'll also be sharing a very meaningful reflection on the haunting question, even possibility, that animals we've known and loved will be with us in the afterlife.
Marley & Me ... In the meantime, I've been wanting to pass along for some time now how meaningful the last scene of Marley & Me is. It's such a genuine and tender moment, and brought tears to my own eyes months before we let Bubba go. I imagine it will do the same for anyone who has loved a companion animal, and even thought about having to say goodbye. I hope you won't avoid watching the film for that reason, it has a plethora of happy and funny moments as well, and a very realistic and affirming message about marriage to boot:
(I haven't read the autobiography behind Marley & Me personally, but the Humane Society has a great review of it. Please feel free to share your own responses! Also, many thanks to Tracie Russell of The Animal Healing Project for posting Willett's poem. Photo of Riley (rest in peace) courtesy and copyright Mary Fitzgerald.)
Ben DeVries
Our good friend Mary, whose dog Riley is featured in the photo above (rest in peace), just shared an incredibly touching video of Jimmy Stewart reading a poem about his dog Beau who passed, and on The Tonight Show of all places. You won't want to miss it:
Thanks for sharing, Mary.
Reader Comments (1)
From Mary, a good friend to me and my wife, and caretaker of Riley (the dog in the photo at the top of the post) who passed away a little over a year ago:
Did you see this YouTube video of Jimmy Stewart on the Tonight Show reading a poem he wrote about his dog Beau. Don't watch without Kleenex.
Since I am quite certain that my dogs past & present possess(ed) a beautiful soul, I am also confident I will meet them again someday. In this world there are dog people and those who are not dog people, and for the ones that aren't, it is just hard to understand.
Thanks, Mary
PS I did read Marley and Me. I think you get a better sense of Marley's soul from the book. Also, do not read without Kleenex.