My Buddy Boy

About the touching death of a personal pet.

The dock stretches out into the stillness of the lake

As the sound of a flock of southward geese gives silence a break

Pristine beauty beguiles me with awesome reality

To bad these splendors will no longer be shared by Buddy Boy and me

The old boat tied up along the dock looks Rockwellian indeed

As it waits for this old man to bait the hook and tie off the lead

From the dock I hope Buddy Boy won’t see this tear in my eye

Because it’s from the memories of him when he was young that I cry

He’s more than just a pet doggone it! He’s more like a son to me!

And when I look at his graying muzzle I wonder how it can be

That, that cute little bundle of tail-wag and furry frothy motion could be seventeen-years-old today

As I remember my promise when I carried him down here that I would send him on his way

You see he can’t see the beauty or smell the fragrance of this early fall

And he can no longer walk down the path he use to run on whenever I would call

And he probably doesn’t remember he’s the only one who knows the truth about that day

I caught the biggest damned fish I’ve ever seen which fought me tooth and nail until it finally got away

 

Realizing it’s now or never as my eyes fill with loving tears I no longer try to hide

I walk over to the end of the dock where he lays sleeping on his side

Sadly I know he can’t hear me and I know it’s time for him to be movin’ on

So after I hug and kiss him one last time I let the water claim him

 

My Buddy Boy Is Gone