I'll Miss the Water Dish

It was a good life

Twelve years
Of serenity

Sunlight
Hitting living room carpets

Brisk walks
Past the house
With the cat in it

I regret not eating that cat
I regret it immensely

Paula's crying
Because I used to sit with her
While she did dishes

I always hoped
She'd let me lick the hamburger residue
Off the plates

But she never did

I forgive her for this

Dan just keeps petting me
He avoids the spot where the tumor is
And he lingers under my ear

Just a few months ago
This would have made my tail wag
And I would have gone into an ecstasy
Unimaginable to humans

But now I'm so tired
I just let my lips slip back
And close my eyes

I'll miss the water dish
And the tiled floor in the bathroom
Always a pleasure to slide across

I'll miss the times
When they let me go outside
Without a leash and collar

I'll miss these two people
My two owners
Dan and Paula
Who I've known my whole life

I heard once
That after awhile
A dog looks like its owners

I don't think I look like Paula or Dan
I don't think we're all that similar
Except for the kindness
I think I have their kindness now

I wish I had been a more poetic pet
But my breed is a simple one

It was all very simple, actually

Nothing but a dog's life

And a good one

A good one