Goodbye, Old Friend

I say friend, but you are more like a sibling
The 5 of us, two years apart-- boy, girl, boy, girl, boy

I begged for a puppy
Mom & Dad finally caved

Down to the pound
So many to choose from

The small one
Black streaks on
Light brown shaggy fur

What to call him?
I always wanted a puppy
I always wanted that cool talking car
I'll call you Kit. My Kit--better than a talking car

Outside dog only
Still managed to cause trouble!
Got into the garage--chewed up all our laundry
Got into the house--always pooped in the only carpeted room













Taught you to sit
Taught you to shake
Taught you to jump on the trampoline
Mistakenly thought we taught you to "dance"

New house, no yard
Guess you'll have to stay inside!
Never had the heart to put you back out

Favorite spots
Left marks on the wall
Left indentations on the carpet
So amused & confused when you found a new spot

You hate the water so much
Immediately after giving you a bath
Got your revenge, rolling around in the dirt & ivy
Ah! The frustration. All of our hard work instantly undone

Bring you camping
Every summer, without fail,
The winding road made you sick
Fought over two things: driving with you, driving with Grandma
Loved camping as much as us--smells, squirrels, pine needle beds

Our month together in SD
You got sick, I was so worried
Worry turned to panic and a 4 am ER visit
It was then they gave you the dreaded cone
God you hated that cone! And I really hated it too.










Kit
Kitty
Kitters
Kitters-Witters-Witters

That silly howl when we came home
Always made it so good to come home

If I believed in heaven
I believe you would go there
I believe you would wait for us there
I believe the first sound I'd hear was that howl
Greeted by that damn silly howl we all love so much

Thank you, old friend
Thank you for the memories
Thank you for changing our lives
Thank you for lasting as long as you did
Thank you for always being a good dog, a good friend


I love you, Kitty. I'm really going to miss you.