Loss is a strange presence; it lingers in the spaces left behind, in the objects once cherished, in the routines now broken. Saying goodbye to four dogs in such a short time was not just an experience of grief, but also my first encounter with death itself. At first, it felt unbearable, but over time, the fear softened. The last lines are about that shift. Not from pain to peace, but from fear to acceptance.
"
Presenece of absence
Felt all at once
Empty bowls
Kept for precious souls
Said many goodbyes
To their wagging tails
loving gaze
In their final days
Endured you
Acquiesced in you
You are now not feared
But faced.
