(for Chess)
Now you are out of grieving sight
we think of you as larger than …
our life is so much smaller now
than how it was before you were …
Asleep you may be gone from view
but we recall your life, renewed
when you defied the odds before
a cheeky run in the great outdoors.
Endearing you to all, who, meeting
you, made ‘aww’ a proper word
to celebrate enduring will, and care
by she who brought her love to bear.
Perseverance personified
by a particular desire never, never
to give in, ever … ever to be
assured of your life-long presence.
Ever to be assured of your
character, writ large upon
the landscape of our lives and
she, who served you so well.
© 2020 John Anstie
[Chess was a collie, rescued in late 2018 by my youngest daughter, suffering a certain degree of neglect, in a poor state of health and not expected to survive beyond Christmas. Supreme loving care, especially by my vet nurse daughter and her veterinary friend, brought her through it to live a full, albeit occasionally faltering, couple of years and helped all those, who knew her, come to appreciate what a character she was. She has become a bit of a legend. This dedication is as much to my daughter as it is to the character of Chess.]