Stopping By The Woods

Nelson passed away today, January 12, 2008. He was not mine, but a very much loved dog of two very good friends of mine. I had the pleasure of taking care of Nelson and his brothers when my friends would go out of town. He became a friend, and it was my privilege to see to him those few times.

A few years back, I painted this picture. But it doesn’t really do him justice. There are photos of him here, here, and here.

This is a poem that his “mom” Linda wrote today:

Nelson

You were the perfect dog
That no one wanted
How fortunate, for us
With stringy ears, spotted tongue
And a quirky grin, we called
You ‘thumper,’ for the sound of your tail
Beating on the floor for our attention.

With the gentlest soul
You never begged, jumped,
Destroyed anything, or barked without reason
In your timid way,
You quivered through thunderstorms
And skulked away from the camera
That you feared so much.
We joked that maybe you feared
Our photos would steal your soul.

But there were those other times
When you enjoyed life
With reckless abandon
Head out the car window, snorting,
Fur blowing in the breeze.
Drinking water enthusiastically,
Letting it pour out the sides
Of your mouth when you
Lifted your head.

How terrible to find that
Someone once hurt you,
Filled your body with buckshot
Before you became ours.
Hopefully, from the moment
We laid eyes on you,
You knew those days were over
You knew you’d be fed, held,
Touched, walked, and loved so fully
Until that last moment, that moment today
When your life slipped peacefully
Away from us, into sleep.