In the end there was
a certain grace
splayed on the table
unrecognizable
our beloved (pup)
barely
five sedated on
a manual respirator
unresponsive
Phenobarbital
overdose in wait
human hair
not fur its smell
and luster
in spite of a final
breath-less episode
just minutes before
we arrived for our
nightly visit the ex and I
he from across country
in case of the worst
sweet pup
earlier in the day
recognizing his hide
and seek whistle
paw shake of recognition
cone headed oxygen
tubes stapled to her nose
the ex fearing our last
link too expiring
yes, a certain grace
to release this spirit
from the metal
vet emergency room cages
to sniff her hair
in the last shallow
horror of breath
a stopped baby-like
heart all muscle
and miles of hiking
reduced to toneless
aspiration pneumonia
complication of—
the ominous seriousness
released spirit etherized
in the lingering smell
of the keepsake collar
and blanket on the bed
at my feet where
nightly she tried
to creep up
pawing me still
Copyright @ 2014 by Peter Covino. Used with permission of the author. This poem appeared in Poem-a-Day on July 31, 2014.