Some folks say, "It's just a dog."
Others exclaim, "It's just a cat."
Those are the unfortunate folks,
Who never felt the connection,
The close bond cemented by love,
Of a selfless and unconditional love.

Our "pets" come into our lives,
When we really need a friend,
One who listens without judgment,
Friends who will always stand by us,
Through both the rain and the sun,
Who love for who they think we are.

Friends who see only the best in us,
No matter how many times we fall,
Are there to help pick up the pieces,
Who patiently wait by our side,
As we wail and gnash our teeth,
Or cry until our eyes are crimson.

When we take them for granted,
They just seem to take it in stride,
They are so happy when we are there,
They forget what happened yesterday,
And never worry about tomorrow,
Teaching us the importance of now.

When sickness comes to call,
Invisible monsters who bring pain,
Pouncing on their helpless victims,
Bringing anguish and suffering,
We struggle to help our friends,
But feel powerless and frightened.

Our friends fight tirelessly against their monsters,
Going to great lengths to hide their pain from us,
Doing their best to carry on as if nothing is wrong,
Knowing in their hearts how much we want to help them,
And as the monster's hold gets stronger and stronger,
The love in their hearts gives them to strength to go on.

When the pain and suffering takes control of their life,
The monster has a choke hold than will not lessen,
When there are no more days that can be called good,
And the options available dwindle down to nothing,
We need to reach down and draw a line in the sand,
We need to agree that it is time for the pain to stop.

When that horrific day we dread finally comes,
Our heart implodes into a thousand, little pieces,
We cry tsunami tears that never seem to stop,
The fog rolls in and storm clouds confine us,
Our stomach is tangled up in twisted knots,
Our voices hoarse from shrieking prayers of grief.

We try to remember the good times,
But our brain cannot seem to let go,
On the image of our best friend,
The vet with a stethoscope in hand,
Telling us that the heart has stopped,
Our beloved friend is gone.

Those that understand our grief,
Know there is nothing left to say,
Other than our loved one has gone off,
To meet all the others who went before,
With no more monsters to hurt them,
They run and play like youngsters.

God is there with all his creatures,
With St. Francis and all the angels,
Together they all look down upon us,
Sending prayers that we dry our tears,
As they play and wait patiently for the day,
When we will all be together once again.