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REMEMBERING
- Barbara (BJ) Andrews
He came into our home that day
His slanted eyes aglow
With all the wisdom of the ancients,
As though he seemed to know
Of greater dreams and prophesies
And secrets yet untold;
Of snow capped peaks and lotus blooms
And scrolls not yet unrolled.
With awkward effort to maintain
A balance yet uncertain,
We offered him both food and drink
To break the silken curtain...
With studied patience, he just sat
And stared into the distance –
Until late that night a bowl of milk
Broke down his young resistance
And so it was when we retired,
Expecting plaintive cries,
We lifted him upon our bed,
But much to our surprise –
Our new best friend demanded "down"
And laid down by the door;
T’was there he slept for all his years,
In comfort on the floor.
Demonstrative he never was
And yet, we came to know
His footsteps treading in the night
As he watched for friend or foe.
We knew his snarl when danger loomed,
His patience with the small,
His deep concern when we were ill,
And his loyalty to us all.
We took him to the largest shows
And he won with due acclaim.
A haughty showman, bold and proud,
A Champion of fame.
From Coast to Coast he conquered all,
But then he let us know
That there were more important jobs
And seeds he had to sow....
And so we brought him home to stay
For he had earned the right
To found a living dynasty,
A beacon in the night.
His sons and daughters carried on
His torch to light the way,
While the old man dozed beside my chair,
His muzzle growing gray.
Then last Spring that Patriarch
With aged dignity
Implored me with his misty eyes,
And head against my knee,
To take him out - to go with him
Wherever he would lead.
And so we walked, just he and I,
Each in our great need.
We climbed the path where as a pup
He’d romped in joyful glee.
We paused for just a moment
Beside his favorite tree.
I do not know how long we sat
Up on that wooded crest,
And then I felt his grizzled head
Sag against my breast.
Some of you have never known
The joy a dog can bring.
The way a puppy’s wagging tail
Can cause the heart to sing.
An so no doubt, it’s just as well,
For neither will you cry
With heavy heart and wounded soul
When your best friend says
goodbye.
reprinted from Akita
Handbook, Tribute to Ch. Sachmo, All-Time #1 Working Group Sire
http://www.thedogplace.org/PROSE/ 74-Remembering_BJ.asp
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