A glimpse of her demanded immediate and closer consideration:
athletically built offspring of unknown origin: part Collie, part Husky?
sandy brown fur sparsely spattered with spots of white above and below a white collar;
wise and bouncy eyes: one dark brown, one light gray.
No doubt: a free spirit patiently awaiting rescue.

No attention-starved-hugging-of-the-gate variety, but oddly cool and collected,
she stood, softly chewing on a ball, in the back of her cold cage:
a comical attempt to fake a smugly acted disinterest in my presence.
No doubt: a funny and clever mutt with playful mischief on her mind.
I fell in love with her and initiated rescue proceedings.

Alas, sprouting love blindsides the hasty: a broader reality enfolded rapidly.
She forgot all about her coolness and collectiveness when she entered my life:
a jittery tail-chaser terrified to pass a doorway first or walk down a staircase.
No doubt: she was haunted by a boatload of mental disorders.
What to do other than remain patient and considerate?

At long last her disorders disappeared, and there she was:
the cool and collected mutt I’d assumed her to be;
a quick and eager student of all things dog-worthy;
a relentless charmer for a game of tennis, a good swimmer and a fabulous runner;
a kindred froghopper in a soggy pasture overrun by tiny, green, hopping frogs.

My precious wildflower bloomed long and beautiful:
a magical mate to be hoped for in, still, this and other lives.
No doubt: the universe is a stickler for precision,
especially with regard to seemingly small stuff like my dog’s lifespan.
Thankfully, old age snuck up on her late in life and didn’t linger too long.

The growing limitations of old age, undergone by her with gracious dignity,
necessitated the use of life-shortening painkillers in her final months.
A lucid soul trapped in limping flesh,
patiently awaiting rescue one last time.
No doubt: her euthanasia bore one of my finest memories.

We parted in absolute peace:
no fear, no spasms, no moaning, no tears - not then.
She simply closed her beautiful eyes and was gone.
Rest well, my sweet girl, and know that:
I’ve begun begging the universe for your return.