AZUL, Australian shepherd
---ad astra per aspera
Azul, bright friend
and dogged guardian
of my blazing son,
I bless you.
O kimosabe, riding a raft
through cat-5 rapids,
zinging down a zip line,
swimming long waters in pursuit
of your master;
bailing down mountains
in a sea of fresh powder;
running with coyotes,
laughing with red heads.
Sterling companion,
ready confessor;
canis major, shepherd of stars,
who saved my son more often
than angels;
who sailed through years
at the prow of adventure;
who bore thorns and wind,
ticks and wounds,
heat and ice
as though gifts to be carried
through the thick of life:
You lived until you died---
and even then your eyes
upon my boy
sought the nod, the okay:
the Amen.
O, friend---no more than a creature,
no less than God’s breath---
how I have loved you.
Good bye.
A poem by my mama, Stella Robbins. post it if you like...Lucy