I didn't see it happen
Or maybe I did,
And chose ignorance over acceptance.
Your cries of victory as you stood over your vanquished foe,
Stuffing littering the floor around you in a picture of imaginary viscera,
Have now become cries of fear, because the distance from the bed to the floor has become too far for you to reach.
I should have seen it happen,
If I did,
Would I have valued our time together more?
You are smaller now,
No longer smothering me in my sleep,
Rather keeping me awake to ensure you are still breathing.
I didn’t want it to happen,
Sixteen years is not enough for a soul like yours,
I curse the clock on the wall as the seconds tick on.
You are tired,
I can see that now,
When you close your eyes, may you wake up young and free.
August Nitzschke is a student at Emporia State University in Kansas finishing a degree in English and creative writing. This poem was written in tribute to the loss of a very special pet who stood by her side for years and helped her through some of her worst times. 'Blind' is a breakdown of the emotions that August felt as she witnessed his decline from life.