You were there the first slow morning
Coffee cup and quiet chair
Box of old work shirts in the hallway
Your head already waiting there
We learned the sound of empty schedules
Talked in walks and shuffled feet
You’d nudge the leash
I’d grab my jacket
Two old souls out on the street
You’re my old dog in these new days
Graying fur
But the same gaze
Every scar on me
You know the tale
You’re my soft bark when my bright plans fail
Every chapter
Every hard bend
You’re my lifelong
Four-legged friend
We’ve watched kids move out
Not look backward
Stacked their lives in moving trucks
You climbed into my lap that evening
Heavy head
Saying “we’ve got us”
Doctor calls and winter storms
Late-night fears I couldn’t shake
You curled up against my heartbeat
Counted breaths ‘til I could take
You’re my old dog in these new days
Graying fur
But the same gaze
Every scar on me
You know the tale
You’re my soft bark when my bright plans fail
Every chapter
Every hard bend
You’re my lifelong
Four-legged friend
When your steps get slow and shaky
And the porch feels far away
I’ll lift you like you lifted me
Through a thousand heavy days