November 12, 2018
An Ode to Sammy:

When Dogs Become Furry Angels with Tails
By Karen Samuelson

These furry little beasts
Clamber up, go deep down into our hearts and close the lid
Settling there: snoring, begging, romping, barking.
We are helpless before their pleading eyes.
Watch me roll over; fetch me a treat. Yes I’m adorable!
They own us.

We call them names like Bubu and Snowflake and Pumpkin
Forgetting their wolfish roots, they let their canine pride billow and balloon; we are their pack.
And so they love us. For better and for worse, they’re by our side.
Constant in the way no one and nothing else is.
So when they die and become furry angels with tails
They return every day at treat time
And in the now aching quiet of the house
You can hear that happy rhythmic thumping
Soft and low next to the beating of your own heart.