I Am Here...I am your Dog...Always....

[Keeper]

I am here...

I stood by your bed last night,
I came to have a peep.
I could see that you were crying,
You found it hard to sleep.

I whined to you softly
as you brushed away a tear,
"It's me, I haven't left you,
I'm well, I'm fine, I'm here."

I was close to you at breakfast,
I watched you pour the tea,
You were thinking of the many times
your hands reached down to me.

I was with you at the shops today,
Your arms were getting sore.
I longed to take your parcels,
I wish I could do more.

I was with you at my grave today,
You tend it with such care.
I want to reassure you,
that I'm not lying there.

I walked with you towards the house,
as you fumbled for your key.
I gently put my paw on you,
I smiled and said "it's me."

You looked so very tired,
and sank into a chair.
I tried so hard to let you know,
that I was standing there.

It's possible for me,
to be so near you everyday.
To say to you with certainty,
"I never went away."

You sat there very quietly,
then smiled, I think you knew...
in the stillness of that evening,
I was very close to you.

The day is over...
I smile and watch you yawning
and say "goodnight, God bless,
I'll see you in the morning."

And when the time is right
for you to cross the brief divide,
I'll rush across to greet you
and we'll stand, side by side.

I have so many things to show you,
there is so much for you to see.
Be patient, live your journey out...
then come home to be with me.

(Author unknown)

[saikridgebacks]

Sandra, you suck....that left me in tears.

Heathe

[Keeper]

I have avoided the Rainbow Bridge on our forum since it was first established.  I will not go into detail but will say that we have lost some of our older dogs this past year.  As our puppies, they lived with their great owners...but they are forever in our hearts.  So, yesterday, I made a determined effort to open the cyber gate to the Rainbow Bridge, and share the loss of those who have posted.    

While I was looking through my many poems, stories, I found a photo and the words I wrote for my beloved Harley 5 years ago.  I had tears streaming down my face and trying to choke back sobs, when a dear friend called to talk.  Also an animal lover and RR owner, she sensed there was a problem.   Bless her for calling, it is always easier to share your loss with someone who has traveled the same road you have. 

So it is, we share the  joy, happiness, and love of our current dogs, and our emotional loss and deep saddness when they leave us, with those on this list.  In that, we all cry the same tears and we are equals.  It does not matter if they were multiple champions, sired National Speciality winners, or simply shared our home and warmed our hearts.

Heathe, you will understand the meaning of my words...in a decade (hopefully much more) when your recent litter begins to show signs of nearing the Rainbow. 
Sandra

[Estelita]

We only had our Sasha the last 2 1/2 years of her life.  She was surrendered to rescue and we just fell in love.  She was perfect - even with the countersurfing and peeing in my house!!  We miss her!!!

[sarah yates]

i have to say...i also avoided the rainbow bridge. i just couldn't imagine what my life would be without my dogs and didn't think i'd have to prepare for it for quite sometime. now they're both gone, and i'm so glad it's here and that there are other people who have had the same experience. i'm single and my dogs are my family. were my family, here in Kenya and in Botswana before. I have a new life now, heading for South Africa...of all the things i thought i'd leave behind (and good riddance to some of them) i NEVER thought that my dogs would be left on Kenyan soil. but they are african dogs...and i'm sure they'll be happy, the only sadness being i'm so far away. well, sadness for me.