(Please see the footnote after this poem. There is so much more to this story than the eulogy.)
One day a little stray doggy
Climbed on our porch.
After all her long, hard journey
Her heart was overjoyed.
We welcomed her into our little house
And gave her love and food.
She won her way into our hearts
And lifted all our mood.
Her journey was long and hard.
She’d been hit a while back.
Her little legs were broken
But the rest of her was in tact.
She had a strong will to live
She just needed a home to love her.
So we took her in our lives and home
No longer did she wander.
Today she does poorly.
She wanders to and fro.
Indoors, outdoors, on her bed
She knows not where to go.
Her little face is longing
For help we cannot give.
She doesn’t understand what’s happening.
She only wants to live.
But life she’s had love and petting
A soft bed and doggy friend.
With all the children around her,
Her time is almost at an end.
We will hold and pet her
Give her offerings of love.
As we help her to the other side
And prayers to Him above.
Her journey will quickly move along
As her journey completes its round.
For us she’s been a blessing
And we’re glad to have had her around.
God bless you, Buttercup!
Footnote:
It was a strong, deep emotion inside me since childhood regarding the problem with death and loss. Especially with innocent animals. Knowing Buttercup needed to go home – her muscles were atrophying to the point where she had troubles standing, her blood pressure had dropped dangerously low and her belly was bloated with fluids because her heart was failing, the idea of losing a beloved creature complete with her unique personality and desire to live, struck me once more as being “unfair”.
Unlike those in our society who put their pets on a equal level as a human being, I knew that they couldn’t understand or offer their sufferings up for a greater good. That is because they have no ability to reason. Putting an imperfect creature before the worship of the Ultimate Perfection is essentially “pet idolatry”. Pets are animals that display a piece of the love of God and all that He is in a tangible form. But they are only a part of the picture we so imperfectly see in this life.
When I had focused on the loss of the animal, I had only seen the loss all the unique characteristics that so beautifully exemplified the characteristics of the God Who created them. In losing people, I had the hope of seeing them again. But the soul of an animal remains with the earth. They have no ability to see or hope beyond the present, unlike a human being. Their connection with their origin, which is the earth, is fixed. Their soul is not eternal.And that bothered me greatly.
Buttercup…
In Buttercup there was the tenacity to endure through suffering. She remained eager to please us and to live just one more day.
She had unconditional love. (Except for whoever used to kick her with boots and tennis shoes in her former life. She hated those types of shoes on the feet of anyone. Understandable.) Her sweetness and gentleness, combined with fierce loyalty were all displaying the Creature in a tangible way. And I didn’t want to lose that visible connection.
My wonderful daughter helped put into perspective the struggle I was having. She said, “You can then have the hope of seeing that piece of God for all eternity.”
That brought peace within because I hadn’t seen the world that way. What we love in this life is only a reflection of the perfection in Heaven. Who couldn’t want to then long for the completion of those pieces in a Whole form in the next life?
