after the shock passed

After the shock passed,
I miss the presence of you,
Always at my side.

*****

Your face turned up to mine,
Your eyes following me.

You knew my patterns,
Recognized my Zoom call voice,
Saw me getting ready to leave,
Stood waiting to see.

Would I take your leash
From it’s hook
On the wall?

Then prancing ensued
Your front paws danced
Their way to the car.

In our younger days
We walked the trails 
Of Jefferson County.
Every week, a new adventure.

I carried the requisite supplies
For both of us
And packed out your waste,
Triple-bagged, of course.

I learned all the tricks,
Had all the fancy hydration cups.
Yummy snacks, booties for sharp stones,
Extra water. Extra love.

Sometimes you wore a doggie pack.
Carried your own water.
Packed out your own waste.
Less smelly for me that way.

You were a sneaky one.
Fascinated by poop 
Left behind by other critters,
You knew I disapproved,
So you’d “fall behind,”
Thinking I might not look back
And see you grab the forbidden object
In your mouth.
“Leave it,” I’d say sternly.
Head down, you’d stand,
Pretending not to hear.
But If I repeated the command
you’d drop the yucky thing
And bounce back in front of me,
Happy to continue up the trail ahead.

You had three beds upstairs
And two downstairs.
Two heating pads,
One for each floor.
And as you aged,
Stairs for getting up on the bed.
You were never one for toys,
Though you did love that crazy lobster.
Only when I was on the phone, of course,
Because it made such a squawking sound. 
And lots of antlers to chew on. 
You had strong jaws
And the impulse to chew.

I took care of you.
Adored you. 
Spent every day and night with you.
You never left my side.
Slept on my bed.

You were my soul companion. 
And my soul misses you.