Shadow

Amazing what gets dredged up in the memories. The pup’s name was shadow

outside the drawn floral curtains
in the scary dark night
a door closed

over and over
muffled whispers
of dad’s voice talking to
uncle phil

followed by sounds of
spades digging
in ground hardened by frost
striking on flint
grating on my mind
over and over

sharp stones in an untamed
garden in the cold of
winter

the dog had been sick
our fluffy black and white pup
my ears strained
what were they doing

and then
the penny registered
in my eight year old brain
dropping like a dead weight
hurting my heart

with horror
i listened to that scraping
and bedding down of soil
when i was unable to
shed a single tear

hiding
under the counterpane
trembling
like a small leaf buried
under a mountain of sadness

Reviews

[Sami Khalil]

"hiding
under the counterpane
trembling
like a small leaf buried
under a mountain of sadness"

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Sami.

[Sami Khalil]

"and then
the penny registered
in my eight year old brain
dropping like a dead weight
hurting my heart"

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Sami.

[Lorry]

It's never an easy thing for a kid to go through, is it Chris? I bet when that penny dropped it did feel like you had swallowed a jagged mountain which tore at your heart.
Why do all parents think it best to not tell kids and leave their imaginations run wild into the dread zone?
I mean, I still tell myself my parents sent my goldfish to live on a farm and think about it every time I pass a flooded field.
I mean, it's not like my parents would lie, is it?

[Chris Shaw]

Hi Lorry, yes difficult for kids to deal with the loss of a pet. To be fair to my Dad, he told me the next morning, but I already knew by then. Oh your poor goldfish :) Thanks for stopping by. Happy Wednesday.

Chris

[Dylan Macadham]

Hi Chris, I confess my eyes welled and my spine chilled! An off-the-charts Story-Poem! I winced with every spade strike, imagined my then 8-yr-old daughter trembling in your waking nightmare! Wow!!!

[Chris Shaw]

I’ve never forgotten the scraping sound of the hardened ground as my poor little dog was buried. They told me the following morning he’d died, but I already knew:( Hardpad and distemper. Never had another dog for fifty years. Thanks Dylan for stopping by to read.

Chris

[Dylan Macadham]

Anticipation, satisfaction, feeling, spurs my stoppings-by :)
...Yes, Puppy Memories linger, sad and sweet. You've brought back mine, thanks :)

[Desert Knave]

Wow. This one hits a chord. The first time we lost a pet as a child I simply could not understand for the longest time. ~Jim

[Chris Shaw]

Many thanks Jim. I appreciate your visit and the thoughts you have shared. All the best.
read moreMany thanks Jim. I appreciate your visit and the thoughts you have shared. All the best.

Chris

[red93]

Ooh mysterious Chris, where you leave so much unsaid and to the reader's imagination. Really Excellent ✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Tony for stopping by. Your thoughts much appreciated. All the best.

Chris

[Poetic Beauty]

Our pets are family. The are an important part of our lives. The loss of a pet is heartbreaking

[Chris Shaw]

So right PB and for a small child more so. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Have a great day.
read moreSo right PB and for a small child more so. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Have a great day.

Chris

[Poetic Beauty]

You have a good day too

[redd Brick Keshner]

What a lovely name, Chris; quite intriguing as well and now a “perfect” poetic Shadow, brilliant poem 🙏🏻🕊
Freds.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Freds for your kind review. Pleased you enjoyed my childhood memory. Have a good day.
read moreThank you Freds for your kind review. Pleased you enjoyed my childhood memory. Have a good day.

Chris

[redd Brick Keshner]

You’re welcome Chris🙏🏻🕊
Read more…

[MCS]

Your beautiful and sad poem took me back to age six when our little dachshund Mr. Brown passed. The whispers and the other sounds all came forward as you’ve so eloquently penned

[Chris Shaw]

Sorry to hear about your Mr Brown. So sad when we lose our pets Mary. Thank you so much for your kind review.

Chris

[schlanks]

Very well crafted. The slow unveiling of the scene, given enough to piece together reality before this poor child does, the opportunity to brace for their tragic realization... and the small leaf comparison really drives home how it feels to not be able to protect someone from these kinds of changes.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you so much for your visit and leaving me your valued thoughts. I very much value your comments.

Chris