Once my Jack ruled the woods.
He could capture squirrels at will,
dig out moles, he even got a few hawks.
When his eyes went blind,
things changed.

Oh sure, he could still sniff the air
& let out a few barks,
but the spark wasn’t in him anymore.
And when he missed
the grey fox tracking us,
I knew it was nearly over.
He succumbed to old age
three months later.

The vet came out and injected him
with the deadly mix.
Sammie died right in my arms,
he went totally limp,
I heard his last breath
& cried like a baby,
couldn’t believe he was gone.

He’s buried out in my backyard now.
I miss him every day,
the way he used to played,
how he’d run circles around me,
tease me with his ball.

Though things are silent,
& there are no dog sounds,
I still call his name.