In some odd way, losing a dog is like losing a child, especially if you don't have children. J and I considered our first dog Tiananmen (a Chinese Sharpei) our child. He went everywhere with us, even on vacations to visit mom and dad. We lost him when we took him to see a doctor regarding his eyelid growing under and scratching his eyelid. The on-call doctor told us to leave him and he'd have the doctor look at him. The on-call doctor decided to operate on him without our consent. Tian died because he was given too much anesthetics. He was only two years of age.
Our good friends lost their dog, Butch, this past Sunday to old age. He was 14 years old, was nearly blind, and suffered from arthritis. Other than these things, he was a happy dog and every part a member of the family. His unique trait was an ability to pick up and carry large rocks around the yard. His decline started merely one week ago; he was suddenly unable to climb stairs or jump up onto the couch. Butch's passing has been hard for the kids--it's the dog they grew up with.
In light of Butch's passing, I'm sharing with you the epic poem my cousin C.M. Parker wrote in dedication to the memory of our dog Tian. I feel it is most fitting for any dog. (The narrator is my cousin's dog Natasha.)
Natasha's Lament
Tiananmen, you great Houdini!
How we all envied you that day,
Having escaped your cell,
You chased that haughty Persian
Ten miles around the neighborhood.
How we cheered as your mistress
Chased you the same ten miles.
But now our cheers are turned to howls,
Beseeching the moon for your return.
Shirkahn says it was the Man
With the white coat smelling of soap and death
Who sent you away; but I know you;
We are as siblings; we have
Chased my mistress' idiot cat
And, once caught, drooled until it begged for mercy.
The confines of life were too narrow for you;
Once the mask was on your face
You found a hole in its fence of sleep
So large, so gaping, you could not but
Venture through it, to explore the other side.
You saw Sirius and Procyn fighting the bull
And followed Orion's call; But soon
St. Antony strode by; You could not resist
Chasing his raven and wallowing with his pig
In the beautiful, heavenly muck.
That done, you encountered Cerberus,
Who, believing you his brother,
(In your mud-blackened state)
Had strayed from his Stygian home.
You chased him back (as any of us would),
Protecting your mistress from his black howls.
Now tired, you sought to return home,
But found Death guarding the way,
The hole sealed tight.
"Tian," said Death kindly,
"You are much too beautiful for the living,
And we need the wisdom of your wrinkled face.
Don't worry; your mistress will understand."
This said, Death kissed you softly, then departed;
No longer tired, you followed adventure's call.
Now Tian, as I howl at the moon,
I fancy I see a new star
Chasing the Great Bear throughout the night.
It twinkles at me, beckoning me to join in the chase.
My sorrowful howls are now joyful barks;
Soon we will chase that bear together, and perhaps
We will do more than drool when we catch him
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