Rhino

Rhino 12/19/2014 - 07/27/2023

Aw baby boy, Rhiney Rhine
You're in doggy heaven now
You are chasing balls and squirrels and rats
And playing tug and keep-away
To your heart's content
For being the littler guy
Your personality was huge
You are leaving such a big hole
In this little family
And in my heart...

I placed your favorite ball
On my altar
Who knew my grief
Would be this deep

There was a empty space
Where you dinner bowl goes
Next to your brother's 
And tonight you won't come to me
For your bedtime  
'Sheepy sheep' hugs and kisses
And lullabies
There is so much to miss
Tomorrow morning
We won't be doing walkie-walks
Or the wiggle butt dance
And you won't be greeting me
With a toy in your mouth
An offering...

And your weird eccentricities 
Like how you'd run outside
When I sat down to eat
And when I coughed or sneezed--
Never could figure out why
And your obsession
When you thought you had 
Something treed
You'd bark non-stop
And couldn't be deterred 

Omg--and your vocabulary
You understood so much
You loved to 'go get the smells'
And show me where you hid my 'shoes'
And help me find the 'kee-kat bowls'
And 'carrots'
And you'd jump in the 'pool'
To cool off
You loved the pool
And you taught me zoomy zooms
Your playful exuberance 
Lifted my spirits
And lightened my heart

I bet you hated going to a new Vet
And not getting to enjoy all the new smells...

bjbeyers 2023