A poem ultimately about pet grief.
I still remember the day you left me
Your eyes were misty with grief
And I could smell the regret on your skin
I didn’t understand where we were going
We didn’t usually go in the car
All of our adventures were taken with our feet
I would follow you, to make sure you didn’t get lost
As we roamed through the trees
The car ride was tense, and full of a heavy silence
You put your fingers through the bars to pet me
That bitter scent of regret only grew stronger
Yet, I still didn’t understand
The car came to a stop and you murmured hushed apologies to me
And then handed me to a stranger in an asphalt lot that smelled like exhaust and sadness
The stranger took me home, and I wondered where you went
Why did you hand me over? Did I do something wrong?
I could tell from your smell you didn’t want to do it
The lady took me to a barn with others
The barn was warm, and life was fine
And the comforts felt like a costume
The junkyard across the way called my name
Those there were more like me
And carrying around their forgotten friends
I never stopped wondering where you went
Even when the months bled into years
I knew you were thinking of me, too
When my bones began to ache
And my body began to slow
I knew I would make my way home
My form is ghastly now, and you cannot see me
But I know you know I am here
When your walks of solitude feel a little less lonely
Know I am your shadow once again
stormborns
titsay
jbbartram-illu
yousharknotpass
janainaart
