when they pass (for Jack)

when a pet
leaves us,
it is one of the most
gut wrenching
emotions we can
experience.

it is different from
losing a friend,
a family member,
or an acquaintance.

a small part
of yourself
goes with them.

all the feedings
and the baths
and the cuddles
at night
before you drift off
to sleep.

the play times,
the broad lines
that separate the
moments you're away
and the quality time
you get with the
one living thing
in this world
that gets you
more than you get
yourself.

with a pet,
you never have to pretend,
they never judge you.
they only want the
spark of soul
within you
that loves and plays
and gives small kisses
when you're in the best
possible company.

they see you for
who you are,
and never for what
you have to pretend to be.
they don't care
about your
marketable skills,
or your credit score,
or how much you
have tucked away
into retirement.
they just want you
for you,
and nothing more.

so when they go,
when they pass
to whatever side of reality
that awaits us all,
there is a small hum
that resonates
through the universe.
it is a small sound
like the weeping
you make when
you find they have
lived their lives
through love
to its very end.