If You Love Him

Maybe it started with Mitzi,

And the way Uelita

would tell her to shut up

because it was the only

English she knew.

Or perhaps it trickled

On to Chiquito–

alias, Cheeto–

Who lived to roughly

twenty or twenty-one

With my mother who loved

him.

But then there was Thomasina,

a cat, nine-lived and black,

I think, but can't remember,

but know I loved the movie

Because my mother loved

her cat.

And then my father

who's dog was Killer

and protected him

from a mountain

lion, or the story goes,

and then there was Apollo,

A dog he met and loved

when I was already alive

but then somebody

poisoned,

an atrocity, and I'm not

sure which hit harder–

the thought of somebody

killing a dog,

or killing

my father's

spirit.

As for me, I lived

with Fifi, a dainty,

black toy poodle,

and a goldfish

named Goldy

(I hadn't flexed

my creative writing

skills yet so don't

judge),

and a time before,

a Boxer named Sox

that I had my mother

give back because

He liked to eat my

uniform skirt while

I was wearing it.

And then many more,

particularly dogs

(and one more

goldfish, this time,

"Charlotte"),

who came to

Know and love us

And inevitably trust

us, which makes

me think of knowing

and loving and trusting

God and how all

things are heartbreaking,

like when something

you love so much dies,

and it feels like your

spirit dies, too,

but it never does,

it never will,

if you love Him.