Jack
A loving and faithful companion

It was upsetting to see you lay around for days
Drinking nothing
Eating nothing
And sleeping little
But it was a lot worse when we found out why.
You had a volleyball-sized tumor on your tummy
And it ate you inside out.
They got it removed, and you were fine.
But suddenly
Cancer struck again
And you became riddled with tumors
Like Swiss cheese.
But I didn’t even know.
I wasn’t there for you, to embrace you when you came to me
After all those times.
I came home one day
And Dad brought me a box
With a paw engraved on top.
He said, “This is Jack now.”
We both began to sniffle.
“We had to put him down. His cancer came back.”
Sniffle.
“He shook my hand with his paw before we let him go. We took him to the beach with the other dogs the day before, and he was the only one who went in.”
Sniffle.
“He went in up to his chest. All by himself.”
Sniffle.
“No one lays on his bed anymore. The other animals will sniff it and walk away. They don’t know what to do without him.”
I had to leave the room
And muffle my sobs with a hand towel.
I can’t ever scratch his ears again.
The red-haired puppy that jumped into my lap and licked my face
Is a ghost now.
A memory.
You were only six, Jack
I hope you’re happy in doggy heaven
With a peanut butter filled Kong chew toy.