Ode to Roxy

Roxy the Hound passed away a little over a year ago – this was written for family to capture our transition to a life without her around.

Sometimes you’ll hear her still walking upstairs,
Or snoring alone in her bed.
Sometimes you’ll dream of her soothing deep breaths,
But wake to pure silence instead.

Her stringy black hairs still clog the drain,
And rest with the crumbs on the floor.
The stains from her nose on the windows out back,
Remain just as caked as before. 

You may think that you see her on corners in town,
Waiting to cross the street.
You still rush to the house to take her outside,
Rather than go out to eat.

The touch of her ears, the smell of her skin,
A stare from deep in her soul.
Her gallop, her dance, her tongue when she slept.
The way she was patient with Cole.

Though the couch where she napped is regaining its form,
And her blankets are losing her smell.
She lingers in many parts of our life,
And the rest, only time will tell.  

The wind will whisper and trees will creak,
Often in tune with the birds.
These are the ways she continues to live,
A life that shows love without words.

4 Replies to “Ode to Roxy”

  1. what a sweet girl she was. i will miss her tongue out as well but also the clip clop of her nails on the floor.

  2. Oh Mike
    You made me cry remembering all the cats I have loved and lost and still many years (some a decade ) I remember their behaviors and idiosyncratic mannerisms .
    Hard to lose them but better to have shared in their lives 🐱

  3. Well done. I hope that helped coping with the loss. It’s real. Chunk isn’t far off. I’ll share with Hayes. She will appreciate this.