Saturday, September 14, 2013

Slightly Haunted




Your spirit runs far beaches,
pounds along the forest trails,
 mine, hungry for the sight of your
big ears and bushy tail.


 Haunted by your being gone,
I soar the mountain pass,
to those wild beaches we so loved,
where I'll find you, at last.

I'll look for you amidst  the waves.
I'll search along the shore,
or in the trees; you might be loping
'cross the forest floor.

Since you've been gone,
I've never stopped looking here and there.
Every big black dog reminds me,
and I see them everywhere.

Though it is now two lonely years
since we have been apart,
teardrops are still raining
in the landscape of my heart.

With thoughts of you my memories
 forever will be rife.
I will carry your loss within me
to the last day of my life.


Hannah, of Metaphors and Smiles,  set us a great prompt at Real Toads: to set our muse, hungry and haunted, into nature. For me, my love of wilderness is all wrapped up in a big black wolf, gone two and a half years now. The most magical place I know is the wild west coast of Vancouver Island, where he and I shared glorious years in some of the most spectacular landscape on the planet. I do not feel his spirit here, in this gray mill town we both endured, while longing for our wilderness home. I am haunted by his absence, so this prompt sent me in the only possible direction.

18 comments:

  1. This is well expressed, Sherry. I do know you will always be looking him for the rest of your days, but I do hope that you do return to the area where you can sometimes see gimpses of him....in the area he loved, bounding in and out of the waves.

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  2. The memory and love of your beloved pup is the perfect focal point to your poem. This is a lovely pic of him, looking so energetic and happy.

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  3. Your sadness & deep longing for his presence are palpable Sherry ~ How precious those memories ~

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  4. I cry with you here...this sadness is palpable...I send comfort and love...

    "teardrops are still raining
    in the landscape of my heart."

    So beautiful, the entire poem.

    Thank you for writing, Sherry. ♥

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  5. i am a newbie to your blog Sherry...i am speechless after reading, beautifully written yet so sad.
    Hug xx

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  6. I know how much you miss him. I understand how an animal can own our hearts like that. I still grieve my animals too. I'm happy to remember them, but wish they were still with me. It's nice that you write about it.

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  7. Wow , two + years? That is all? I feel as though he has been gone for 10 but the pain and loss are like yesterday. This is beautiful ... and perfect photo. When I opened your blog ... I wished to nuzzle my face into his head over there upon the right. Hugs. It won't be forever.

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  8. Your love of Pup is shared whole heartedly by all of us. Your and his unconditional love for each other is very palpable in this piece. I coddle the expressions you've shared with us about the love you have for Pup and I make sure that my every moment I spend with my two little kids, Jules and Jaz, are filled with embraces and kisses. While I share their lives in this mundane domain I will make the most of it.

    Gracias for this inspiration mi amiga

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  9. heavy...as was karins today...having just lost our cat of 12 years back at christmas, she was our first child you know...and thought our boys were her kids....i miss her still...

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  10. I expect that when I loose my Sasha, that I will be a mess--she is my constant companion--and is always able to be with me even when I am feeling a little lost--when my kids come in and out of my life--my heart to you my friend--I know that your time with Pup was so special

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  11. What a beautiful direction this took you in, Sherry. So very sorry for your loss. We recently lost our German Shepherd, Riley, who was such a magnificent friend. I'm not sure who is more heartbroken - us or our Labradoodle, Charlie, who thought the sun rose and set by him. We will meet them again...I know that's true. And I hope you get to return to your wilderness...thankfully, you have the memories tucked inside your heart.

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  12. If a photo can show a spirit, this one certainly does! How carefree - and this poem, so full of memories - I know the sadness that comes with losing a dear pet, but that vulnerability also makes us better people (I think).

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  13. Yours made me cry, but I am in that mood.
    My hound is slowly starting to not be himself. It is so sad-remember you both gave each other so much~ He helped your heart heal in new ways and you saved his. You listened to his wild heart and took him when he needed to roam.

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  14. Very nice tribute to a good friend Sherry.

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  15. Very nice tribute to a good friend Sherry.

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  16. very touching. i feel the same way about my dog kopas. the world hasn't felt exactly right since he left. that landscape of my heart sez it all.

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