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
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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.
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42 comments:
Having just gone through this with our own dog, I can say you write this for all of us.
So sorry about your sweet dog. I am glad you had a way to express your love and loss.
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.
Oh my dear sweet friend.
Hugs. My heart beats for you. My spirit cries for you.
Louise
Hi lovely M-- I said this before, but Seamus had you and was blessed... beautiful lament, restrained and pure. xxxj
My mother lost her old Westie this year too. It's very hard to lose a faithful friend.
Man, oh man. So sorry for your loss. My thoughts are with you and your family.
A moving threnody, the more effective for its minimal form.
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!
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.
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.
I'm really sorry.
A very nice way to remember Seamus. So sorry.
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
Sorry for your loss Maureen..its so sad when it happens, your emotions are so much felt with the words..hugs.
A very tender poem.
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.
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
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
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
So sorry for the loss of your dear Seamus. What a lovely tribute to such a loving member of your family.
iLiked what Jen said, 'restrained and pure'. The words contained the grief respectfully, with a proper hanky.
Maureen this is such a lovely tribute for your love of Seamus...i know that is hard....
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
Well expressed on the pain of losing such a wonderful part of the family... loyal, loving, respectful, always our friend.
Great tribute to a missed friend.
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
sorry i am late...so sad to see a friend pass...and pets do become friends...a very gentle goodbye you wrote....
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.
Sometimes the only thing we can do is write. --A beautiful tribute to your friend. Blessings here.
A nice, touching tribute to Seamus, Maureen. I'm sure he was very loved.
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
Effective mingling of love, death.
This made me cry a wee bit. Bless you, Maureen. Please accept my condolences in the loss of your sweet boy.
The way I breathe when I read that poem...
In your grief, you have also walked in comfort?
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.
Your simple threaded words are beautiful.
Peace to you as you grieve the loss of your sweet boy. There are no other words.
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
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.
You've expressed so well this painful experience ...
You put it so beautifully....
So sorry that you've had to walk through such sadness... but so glad your dog had you. You were a blessing.
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