Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Death Its Place with Love Conjoined (Poem)






















Our Seamus, our much loved Westie, died in the afternoon of 30 October 2010. (He died without that collar on.) He was our "sweet boy" for almost 11 years, a rescue that had been abused, knew fear, and accepted all the love we could give him. May he always R.I.P.

Death Its Place with Love Conjoined

Not even half
a minute

had I
not time

to count
the time

of taking
life

sweet
slipping

gently
breath

unheard
and going

eyes
their light

light's own
now

forever
fixed

death
its place

with love
conjoined

© 2010 Maureen E. Doallas
____________________

I wrote this poem, the only poem I could write, for Tuesday's Blog Carnival, sponsored by Bridget Chumbley at One Word at a Time.

The Blog Carnival is a biweekly online event open to anyone. Participants write either original poetry or prose reflecting their consideration of or response to the one-word prompt or topic. The prompt for November 2 is "reconciliation".

At Bridget's place, you'll find a list of links to all of the Blog Carnival contributions, which are posted throughout Tuesday and often through to the end of the week.

The Blog Carnival's FaceBook page is here.

The prompt for the next Blog Carnival, scheduled for Tuesday, November 16, is "gratitude". The complete schedule of prompts through the end of the year is available at Bridget's and also on the FaceBook page.

* * * * *

I offer this poem also for One Stop Poetry's weekly "One Shot Wednesday" event. (This is Week 17.) Be sure to visit the site late Tuesday afternoon and every Wednesday for links to the many contributors' "one shot" poems.

42 comments:

Glynn said...

Having just gone through this with our own dog, I can say you write this for all of us.

Kathleen said...

So sorry about your sweet dog. I am glad you had a way to express your love and loss.

A. Jay Adler said...

Like any dog lover, Maureen, I know your pain. But, really, this poetry (it isn't simply "a poem"; it is poetry) is so fine. So brief, it nonetheless has distinct parts, beginning, middle, and end that transition almost invisibly into each other, culminating in that essential statement, that title. (It has so distinct an Elizabethan diction, I checked online to see if you were alluding in appropriation to some work I don't know, but apparently not.) Often an experience like this will produce an expression that soothes the writer, but that isn't anything very good. This is very good. I will come back to it. Thank you.

Louise Gallagher said...

Oh my dear sweet friend.

Hugs. My heart beats for you. My spirit cries for you.

Louise

jen said...

Hi lovely M-- I said this before, but Seamus had you and was blessed... beautiful lament, restrained and pure. xxxj

Dawn Potter said...

My mother lost her old Westie this year too. It's very hard to lose a faithful friend.

Hannah Stephenson said...

Man, oh man. So sorry for your loss. My thoughts are with you and your family.

Dick said...

A moving threnody, the more effective for its minimal form.

Carol Piva said...

Wow! I just came to congrat you for these deep-down, beautiful, visual, and vigorous words. What a wonderful poem - intense, with untold vibration... Once and for all: congratulations! I really liked it!

Anonymous said...

You have no doubt have had some very difficult days being with and saying goodbye to Seamus.

I hope the good memories will outlast the sadness. And the love has not been lost, but, is still with you.

Maureen said...

My thanks to everyone for their kind words. And an extra thank you to those of you who commented also or directly about my poem, which I worried would be overshadowed by the event of Seamus' death.

Michael Perkins said...

I'm really sorry.

dustus said...

A very nice way to remember Seamus. So sorry.

Claudia said...

so sorry about your dog...i can so relate to this..had a dog when i was a teenager and it was at times my only friend..and i so cried when he died..beautiful maureen

Desert Rose said...

Sorry for your loss Maureen..its so sad when it happens, your emotions are so much felt with the words..hugs.

Anonymous said...

A very tender poem.

PattiKen said...

This brought tears to my eyes. I love the gentleness of your words, describing the silent slipping away that death can be. Just beautiful. I'm so sorry for your loss.

moondustwriter said...

A tear or two for your dear little friend. I know the joy that was shared by you two. He was blessed to have such a kind friend as you.

My love and hugs Maureen and another tear or two

Anonymous said...

Sweetly stated and sad. This actually welled tears up in my eyes and I can tell it had to be somewhat difficult to place it to words. "Love conjoined" ~ Brought back that feeling I had when I lost my mini-poodle....they really ARE family. My condolences...~April

patty said...

I have felt some tears in my eyes reading others poems, this one made me cry!

I feel your loss, your poem described beautifully how my chihuahua died peacefully and sweetly in my hands on mothers day a few years ago. It is never easy to say good bye. big giant dog lover hug to you! xo

Unknown said...

So sorry for the loss of your dear Seamus. What a lovely tribute to such a loving member of your family.

Kathleen Overby said...

iLiked what Jen said, 'restrained and pure'. The words contained the grief respectfully, with a proper hanky.

Carrie Van Horn said...

Maureen this is such a lovely tribute for your love of Seamus...i know that is hard....

Shashidhar Sharma said...

Dear Maureen
Peace with you.. and what a nice tribute too.. I feel it.

ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya
Twitter: @VerseEveryDay
Blog: http://shadowdancingwithmind.blogspot.com

Reflections said...

Well expressed on the pain of losing such a wonderful part of the family... loyal, loving, respectful, always our friend.

Anonymous said...

Great tribute to a missed friend.

Marshy said...

this is when poetry really has place...when it helps heal, when it helps you say the things you want to say but dont know how to put it...i feel for you maureen...so very well written

Brian Miller said...

sorry i am late...so sad to see a friend pass...and pets do become friends...a very gentle goodbye you wrote....

Joyce Wycoff said...

Maureen ... I'm so sorry for your loss but I know that Seamus was the most blessed of dogs. I have sometimes wondered why dogs' lives are so short when ours are so much longer and we miss them so much. Perhaps, they are our teachers ... teaching us about life and death and prompting from us ... at least from you ... the most touching of poems.

Melissa Campbell said...

Sometimes the only thing we can do is write. --A beautiful tribute to your friend. Blessings here.

Bubba said...

A nice, touching tribute to Seamus, Maureen. I'm sure he was very loved.

Asobime said...

Damn...this hit hard.. We just lost our 16 year old Husky, Charlie, in September.

Abused, starved at 6 months...(who could do such a thing to a baby??) so your poem hits hard...Straight to the heart where it belongs.

My condolences to you, Maureen, but Seamus was loved, loved, loved.

And the poem was as much as grief would allow.

Beautiful.

Lady Nyo

Steve Isaak said...

Effective mingling of love, death.

Laura said...

This made me cry a wee bit. Bless you, Maureen. Please accept my condolences in the loss of your sweet boy.

Monica Sharman said...

The way I breathe when I read that poem...

In your grief, you have also walked in comfort?

Cassandra Frear said...

So sad. Sorry for your loss.

This poem is done so well, I don't know what to say. It's like your heart is joined to it.

Candy said...

Your simple threaded words are beautiful.

Peace to you as you grieve the loss of your sweet boy. There are no other words.

Beachanny said...

I read your poem with tears in my eyes for your loss and for the beauty of your expression. It has moved me quite deeply. Gay

Hazel Moon said...

Saying good by to our beloved animals is heart breaking, but I truely believe they will be with us in heaven. If the lion will lay down with the lamb, our pets also may be there.

S. Etole said...

You've expressed so well this painful experience ...

Whitesnake said...

You put it so beautifully....

caryjo said...

So sorry that you've had to walk through such sadness... but so glad your dog had you. You were a blessing.