POPPY

POPPY 

She came to me on a frosty December

A Christmas gift with fur of hue cinnamon and ginger

A pup she was swaddled in a basket, opal eyes gazing at me filled with wonder

With patches of white on padded paws, playfully she would bound helter-skelter

Poppy the pup snuggled by my side on cold, freezing nights

Seasons changed and soon she got over all her fright

Thumping her tail she would charge forward

Backyard was her favourite spot to laze in the sun and chase a songbird

Poppy yelped at passing cars and Poppy howled at the moon

Poppy was a sweetheart who grew into a cuddly bear too soon

Splashing in the sea or running in the sand

Poppy loved the beach and slurped ice-cream off my hand

Her love was true and she was loyal

Looking puzzled when I was morose, her head bumps and cuddles made me again jovial

With the wind in her face she loved car rides

A smiling dog there never was one, Poppy was my pride

Poppy had her bad days when she was under the weather

You could see me praying to all the angels to make her feel better

Poppy was a warrior and she leaped back to health

She would sneak up on me, she was a master of stealth

Except for a day when Poppy refused to recover

She lay down lazily and to her fate did  surrender

Twelve years and more Poppy was a star

Now she's over the rainbow bridge the brightest one from afar

Poppy's bite marks on my slippers and her name tag with collar

The books which Poppy chewed are still in my drawer

The dog bowl sits in its usual place so familiar

I would never move Poppy's things, never in a million years, oh never!

Poppy now rests eternally in the sunny spot she loved so much

In the backyard garden surrounded by flowers which sway with a light touch

Poppy is now pain free and I know she's happy

In the Happy Hunting Grounds patiently waiting for me to join her eventually.

©️ Sangeetha Kamath

Pic Courtesy: Pixabay