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A
Cairn for our Brindled One
by
Leland Jamieson
For
G.K.J.
Three
months ago we couldn’t fail to note
our cairn had built up tarter — quite a lot.
His pre-op blood work showed up fine. A quote:
“Strong heart — all organs function as they
ought
for a dog fourteen. The risk to him’s remote . .
. .”
The
last six days he’d not eat diddley-squat.
His thirst increased, his brown eyes lost their clown,
his ears drew back in pain. We’re so distraught!
How could the vet’s own blood work — he’s
renowned —
have failed to flag a pancreas cancer’s knot?
We
buried him with hearts of eiderdown,
with cairn of glacial stones we piled abreast —
some stumbled on in forest leaves all brown,
some blocking, deep, the way of his deep rest
our shovel clanged upon as we dug down.
©
2006 by Leland Jamieson
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