A Paw-Printed Heart
Footfalls silent against the aging overgrown trail Spurred by nature's breath singing a lonesome song. Drifting numbly forward to forlorn emotions frail And no softened ground catching my upcoming swoon. Pale fading petals shrivel and shed Blanketing stone brushed by paw and palm A steadfast symbol always I dread Heartbreaking past hostile to care and calm. Love buried in the ground, too soon gone to mother earth's bed. Pain sings in the sound We knew she was loved, they said. Furry little missile zooms through the garden Explosion of energy booms then dies. That toothy terror begs for a quick pardon Mischievous yet innocent big brown eyes. Similar browns once stared back at me Now long gone but never replaced. Guiltiness slows with time and now she Helps heal my heart, shame displaced.
