Pet Loss
Poems
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” – Anatole France
Pet
Death
It takes us back to brighter years,
To happier sunlit days,
And to precious moments
That will be with us always.
And these fond recollections
Are treasured in the heart
To bring us always close to those
From whom we had to part.
There is a bridge of memories
From earth to Heaven above…
It keeps our dear ones near us
It’s the bridge that we call love.
Oh my sweet kitty, I love you still,
There’s a place in my heart, you always will fill.
I still feel your fur, and find it around,
Bringing back memories of the kitty I found.
I miss you, I miss you, what more can I say,
I wish you were here for just one more day
They will not go quietly,
The cats who’ve shared our lives.
In subtle ways they let us know
Their spirit still survives.
Old habits still make us think
We hear a meow at the door.
Or step back when we drop
A tasty morsel on the floor.
Our feet still go around the place
The food dish used to be,
And, sometimes, coming home at night,
We miss them terribly.
And although time may bring new friends
And a new food dish to fill,
That one place in our hearts
Belongs to them. . . and always will.
Your favorite chair is vacant now…
No eager purrs to greet me.
No softly padded paws to run
Ecstatically to meet me.
No coaxing rubs, no plaintive cry
Will say it’s time for feeding.
I’ve put away your bowl, and all
The things you won’t be needing;
But I will miss you little friend,
For I could never measure
The happiness you brought me,
The comfort and the pleasure.
And since God put you here to share
In earthly joy and sorrow;
I’m sure there’ll be a place for you
In Heaven’s bright tomorrow…
You lived your nine lives here with me
My loyal, loving friend,
Then God took you up to Paradise
To live life number ten.
I’ll bet you’re peacefully lying
Upon an angel’s lap.
Purring there, without a care
Having a heavenly nap.
I’ll miss you for a little while,
But our friendship will not end.
Time will pass, and then at last
You’ll be on my lap again.
They say memories are golden
Well maybe that is true.
I never wanted memories,
I only wanted you.
A million times I needed you,
A million times I cried.
If love alone could have saved you
You never would have died.
In life I loved you dearly,
In death I love you still.
In my heart you hold a place
No one could ever fill.
If tears could build a stairway
and heartache make a lane,
I’d walk the path to heaven
and bring you back again.
Our family chain is broken,
And nothing seems the same.
But as God calls us one by one,
The chain will link again.
I stood by your bed last night, I came to have a peep.
I could see that you were crying, You found it hard to sleep.
I whined to you softly as you brushed away a tear,
“It’s me, I haven’t left you, I’m well, I’m fine, I’m here.”
I was close to you at breakfast, I watched you pour the tea,
You were thinking of the many times, your hands reached down to me.
I was with you at the shops today, Your arms were getting sore.
I longed to take your parcels, I wish I could do more.
I was with you at my grave today, You tend it with such care.
I want to reassure you, that I’m not lying there.
I walked with you towards the house, as you fumbled for your key.
I gently put my paw on you, I smiled and said “it’s me.”
You looked so very tired, and sank into a chair.
I tried so hard to let you know, that I was standing there.
It’s possible for me, to be so near you everyday.
To say to you with certainty, “I never went away.”
You sat there very quietly, then smiled, I think you knew …
In the stillness of that evening, I was very close to you.
The day is over and I smile and watch you yawning
And say “goodnight, God bless, I’ll see you in the morning.”
And when the time is right for you to cross the brief divide,
I’ll rush across to greet you and we’ll stand, side by side.
I have so many things to show you, there is so much for you to see.
Be patient, live your journey out . then come home to be with me.
Just a cat some folks may say, just get another one.
They just don’t understand, the bond can’t be undone.
I watched that “Just a cat” be born, in fact it was in my lap
Her mama had joined me in my chair, I thought to take a nap!
In an instant my life had changed, when I saw that tiny face
When my little Beast was born, and began to run the place.
I nursed her when she was not well, I nursed her when she was.
I took the worse and loved the best, that little ball of fuzz.
Through the good times and the bad, she was always there
Then when we finally settled down, and lived without a care.
A few years went by, one day at a time, we were a happy lot
You never think about the day, or maybe you forgot.
But in the end it happens, good things just don’t last.
That tiny little life is snuffed out. The years go by too fast.
I watched her as she was born and loved her every day
I heard her heart beat that last time before she went away
So to some of you she might have been “Just a cat”
But to me she was my little Beast and nothing can change that.
I will lend to you for a while
A puppy, God said,
For you to love him while he lives
And to mourn for him when he is gone.
Maybe for twelve or fourteen years,
Or maybe for two or three.
But will you, till I call him back
Take care of him for me?
He’ll bring his charms to gladden you
And (should his stay be brief)
You’ll always have his memories
As solace for your grief .
I cannot promise that he will stay,
Since all from earth return,
But there are lessons taught below
I want this pup to learn.
I’ve looked the whole world over
In search of teachers true
And from the folk that crowd life’s land
I have chosen you.
Now will you give him all your love
Nor think the labour vain
Nor hate me when I come
To take my pup back again.
I fancied that I heard them say
“Dear Lord Thy Will Be Done,”
For all the joys this pup will bring,
The risk of grief you’ll run.
Will you shelter him with tenderness
Will you love him while you may
And for the happiness you’ll know
Forever grateful stay.
But should I call him back
Much sooner than you’ve planned
Please brave the bitter grief that comes
And try to understand.
If, by your love, you’ve managed
My wishes to achieve,
In memory of him that you’ve loved,
Cherish every moment with your faithful bundle,
And know he loved you too.
Losing a dog leaves a hole in your heart,
You simply just wait for your life to restart.
The hurt is so deep that you wonder just how,
You’ll ever recover from pain you feel now.
But time is a blessing and memories are gold.
The years that you loved her and watched her grow old,
Are gifts that she leaves you to treasure and then,
One day you’ll see her and love her again.
May I go now?
Do you think the time is right?
May I say goodbye to pain filled days
And endless lonely nights?
I’ve lived my life and done my best,
An example tried to be.
So can I take that step beyond
And set my spirit free?
I didn’t want to go at first,
I fought with all my might.
But something seems to draw me now
To a warm and loving light.
I want to go
I really do.
It’s difficult to stay.
But I will try as best I can
To live just one more day.
To give you time to care for me
And share your love and fears.
I know you’re sad and afraid,
Because I see your tears.
I’ll not be far,
I promise that, and hope you’ll always know
That my spirit will be close to you
Wherever you may go.
Thank you so for loving me.
You know I love you too,
That’s why it’s hard to say goodbye
And end this life with you.
So hold me now just one more time
And let me hear you say,
Because you care so much for me,
You’ll let me go today.
Mrs Gummy sleeps beneath Baby’s Breath
And who would know within her death
The lessons learned from a nature sweet
All fur and purr on arthritic feet.
If it should be that I grow frail and weak,
And pain should keep me from my sleep,
Then you must do what must be done
For this, the last battle, can’t be won.
You will be sad, I understand,
Don’t let the grief then stay your hand,
For this day more than all the rest
Your love and friendship stand the test.
We’ve had so many happy years,
What is to come can hold no fears.
You’d not want me to suffer so;
When the time comes, please let me go.
Take me where my needs they’ll tend
And stay with me, if you can, to the end.
Hold me firm and speak to me
Until my eyes no longer see.
I know in time, you will see,
It is a kindness you do for me.
Although my tail its last was waved,
From pain and suffering I’ve been saved.
Don’t grieve that it should be you,
Who must decide this thing to do,
We’ve been so close, we two, these years;
Don’t let your heart hold any tears.
Smile, for we walked together for a little while.
Oh what unhappy twist of fate
Has brought you homeless to my gate?
The gate where once another stood
To beg for shelter warmth and food.
For from that day I ceased to be
The master of my destiny,
While she, with purr and velvet paw
Became within my house the law.
She scratched the furniture and shed
And claimed the middle of my bed,
She ruled in arrogance and pride
And broke my heart the day she died.
So if you really think, oh cat
I’d willingly relive all that,
Because you come forlorn and thin
Well don’t just stand there – come on in!
100+
Funeral
Poems
We have collected and categorised a selection of 100+ poems to help anyone searching for a fitting funeral reading.
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, all come from earth, and to earth all return.
Ashes to ashes,
dust to dust,
all come from earth,
and to earth all return.