little things

loneliness,
some people crave it,
they search to be
one with themselves,
to be at peace
and to get away
from the stress
of it all.
but what happens
when being alone
only makes you worse?

anxiety attacks,
they happen
all the time,
and there are others around
that can help you
feel better.
but what happens
when your anxiety attack
hits you at four in the morning
when everyone’s asleep?
who do you go to then?

i tried to meditate,
but my heart still races.
simple deep breaths
aren't doing the job.
there’s gotta be ways
to manage it:
can a funny
youtube video
do all the magic?

yeah, that’s better.
a good laugh
was all it took.
sometimes,
the little things
are all i need
to wipe the bad thoughts.

thanks, steve.

10. bye-bye, puppy

it was time.

the family knew,
after seeing you like this,
they couldn’t have you
living in discomfort.
after 12 years
of happiness
and love,
it was time for you
to cross the rainbow bridge
and go to puppy heaven.

the little boy
got to cuddle with you
for one last time,
his heart breaking
more and more
as he watched you cry,
thinking more and more
that this would be
his last time
with his best friend.

mama came back
to take you away
and put you down.
the young boy
said one final
“bye-bye, puppy”
and saw you off.

he didn’t show it,
he doesn’t cry much,
but it breaks his heart
seeing you gone.
he swears that
he still sees you
on the couch,
right next to mama,
and it breaks his heart
to walk in the house
and not get a greeting
from a smiling puppy.

but he knows
that it’s for the best
that you’re up in heaven
with all the treats
you could ever ask for,
and he knows
that God blessed him
with 12 wonderful years
with the greatest pet
anyone could ever ask for.

but he knows
you were more than just
a simple pet:
you were a family member,
you were his best friend,
and you were a loved one.
he’ll forever miss you
but he can’t wait
to meet you again
on the other side.

you made the world happy,
just as we said you would,
and you brought so much love
to all those around you.
you did a wonderful job,
and we all love you,
cooper.

9. weakening

but it was worse
than the cat!

the young boy,
now a college student,
came home one night
and found you whining
uncontrollably.
mommy and daddy
tried to pet you
but nothing would work!

they took you to
the doctor
to see what was wrong,
but they found no pain.
no stroke,
no damage,
no nothing!
they thought you were fine!

but the whining didn’t stop,
and you couldn’t even walk.
it was so bad,
a light breeze
could knock you over.

you had to be carried,
it was the only way
to stop the whining.
and every time
someone held you
in their arms,
you would cuddle closer,
not wanting
to leave their embrace.

it broke everyone’s heart
seeing you like this,
daddy couldn’t help
but cry,
and the young boy,
while he didn’t show it,
wasn’t taking it easy.

8. collapse

things got scary
pretty quickly, though.

remember when
you used to
play with the rope?
no longer.
you hardly had
that much energy
because every time
you got wired up,
you’d sneeze and cough
uncontrollably.

sure,
you had your moments
of jumping
all over daddy
and trying to lick
his face,
but you never
played with your toys
ever again.

christmas presents
went from toys
to just bones
and treats.
you loved the treats.
but the toys?
well, we forgot
you even had them!

playful was no longer
the right word
to describe you.
energetic was no longer
linked to your name.
adorable? yes.
playful? no.

you had calmed,
in the same way as…

…the cat.

7. my best friend

the youngest boy,
now in high school,
gave you plenty of love.

they say when kids
get their iphones,
they ignore
everything around them.
not the young boy.

he used to run
around the house
with the phone,
trying to get
nice pictures
of you.
he would post them
for the entire world
to see you,
and he always
bragged about you
to his friends.

“my puppy is
my best friend!”
he always said
as he showed them
your pictures.

“i miss puppy”
he would say
just minutes
after leaving the house,
or seconds after
you went with daddy
to bed.

you were like
a child to him.
he always wanted
to pet you,
to cuddle with you,
to hold you
in his arms.

you were his best friend.

6. attention

oh, we forgot
to mention,
there’s a cat.

the boys always thought
that the cat was mean,
she hid in the basement
and did nothing
but bite and scratch people.

the puppy didn’t like her
that much either.
she would jump out
and just bop him
in the nose.
he was afraid
to even run by that door
because of the cat
always lurking around.

years later, they all
warmed up to
the kitty,
as she turned
peaceful,
even letting the puppy
play with his rope
without getting hit.

little did they know
that she was more peaceful
because her time was almost up.

the kitty had
to be put down,
and now puppy
was the center
of attention.
he and he alone
got everyone’s love,
there was no more competing.

5. back

it looks like
it was all just
a quick scare, though.

because friday the 13th,
a day typically associated
with bad luck,
rolled around.
the boys were home alone,
unusual for the time
but that’s how it was.

a knock on the door,
the young one
looked out
the window.
it was dad,
but what’s in his arm?

oh look,
a smiling puppy!!!
he’s all better!

both boys
were overjoyed,
their little tiny
puppy dog
was no longer sick,
and everything was
back to normal!