Emma

When I had to have Snickers put down several years ago after 15 years of loyal companionship, it was the most difficult thing I'd ever done, and still is. I remember driving home from an after-hours vet in Golden Valley at 3:00AM barely able to see the road through a blur of tears.

I came back from a ride a few days ago and Tammy told me that her good friend Sue had to have her dog Emma put down. She read for me an email that Sue had sent her. It was a poem she'd just written about Emma and I listened as Tammy fought back tears reading it to me. Susan does such a beautiful job of capturing all of the small details that define Emma and many of our dogs' character.

Thank you, Sue, for allowing me to reprint your words.

For Emma, my dog, April 1993 - August 11, 2011

My Little Em

That hippity hoppity happiness, you brought when you pranced through my door

That piddity paddity paw print, you left on my kitchen floor

Your fantastic, fanatic, warm welcome, came with a barking applaud,

As you were my faithful worshipper, I was your image of God.

Your damp little nose on my neck line, would wake me, to bright morning sun,

A new day, to do nothing more, than to eat and to sleep, and to run

So out of the door you would scamper, to greet every spider and snail

And chase all those squirrels from the garden, propelled by a waggily tail.

Your speed was as fast as a bullet, and lighter than air you could fly,

But never a varmint, you’d capture, no matter how hard you would try.

So faithful and funny and fearless, my furry and frolicking friend,

A formidable force at the fence line, each linear link to defend

Alerting intruders, with your bark, to let every earth dweller know,

That you were the guardian, at large, to ward off each eminent foe

To lie in the grass of the summer, to role in the leaves of the fall,

To twirl in the snow flakes of winter, to greet the spring wind with a howl

To sit or to stay or to come, could bring a rewarding treat,

While excitement lay just at the doorway, with plenty of people to greet

To jump on the lap of each person, and nudge out a stroke or a pat,

To sleep in the light of a sunbeam, there’s nothing quite better than that

In winter the form of your body, would lay like a quilt on my lap,

As I would sit reading the Scriptures, you would lie taking a nap.

The years seemed to pass by so quickly, much faster than your fastest run,

And whistling winds of the ages, were bidding your being to come.

While subtle and almost unnoticed, the tolling of time had its way.

Though eyes became dim and ears became dull, your spirit still longed to obey.

So where I would go, you would follow, a heartbeat that stayed at my feet,

A life form so simple and solid, so loving, and loyal, and sweet

Contented to be in my shadow, indomitable, adorable friend,

My canine, courageous, companion, my cuddle bug, My Little Em.

Blessings Always,

Susan Peterson