Annie, you came into our lives
On your one-year birthday
So fearful, so quiet, so timid
Learning the way of family life
And friendship
And joy
From Maxx,
Watching carefully,
Then accepting, loving, no longer hiding.
Your favorite days
Were always a run on the beach,
Chasing the birds, the dogs, the spirits
Us almost losing you on a fog-filled beach in Washington
Our only clue your jingling collar
As we yelled for you in vain, and hope.
You have hiked from San Francisco
To Portland
To Sedona
To Chicago
To our neighborhood,
Seeming to smile all the way
The kindest soul I have ever met
Who taught many people to love dogs
Just sitting patiently
Rolling over for a rub,
Stealing a kiss
Never asking,
Always giving.
We shall miss your gentle aura
The softness of your fur
You herding us playing baseball or football
Your kind brown eyes
Your patience.
Be free
Of your aged body
But your always-young soul,
Find your friend Maxx
Who taught you to love
And be there to lead me
Someday.
Written for my wonderful Annie, who we lost just shy of her 17th birthday.
5/3/1992-3/26/09
