Dog Dolor - Gregory White

[Larry Robinson]

Dog Dolor

My wife says time to put down Drystan.
Death comes slowly, the operations,
his blindness and shedding.  The kids,
now in their 20’s, begged us not to
unless we really had to.

They’re no help at all.  Foolishly, I
hold my pain hidden from them.

My friend Farraj tries a comfort trope 
kindly reminding every storm has
a hidden blessing.  I tell him there is
no comfort in goodbyes.

At the moment the needle sank in,
panic, hissing from my gut, struck,
while my unbearable relief
was just waking up.

	- Gregory White