We wish to express our very deep and sincere thank you to each one of you who sent us such loving words of comfort and beautiful thoughtful cards. I
experienced with many of you the passage of your beloved pets, and some wrote to tell me of experiences with the loss of other pets I did not know personally. In each case, I am reminded of the universal emotions of Love and Grief - and of our empathetic sharing in times like these. A dear friend of mine, who is a holistic veterinarian in L.A., sent me a poem he had written years ago for a friend grieving a loss. I am sharing it with you now for all of our collective experiences. In print, the poem forms an arrow pointing up.

Breathe

Breathe.
Breathe me in.
Hold me for a while.
Let the smell of me linger,
And bring a gentle smile.

Let me go.
Feel the breath pass from your lungs.
Where have I gone?
No evidence of me remains,
But I am not gone.

Feel me in the wind.
See me in the grass
That cushions your feet,
And softens your fall.
I am here still.

We do not own the breath,
But keep it for a moment,
And set it free again.
Briefly the scent lingers,
And wind brushes our face.

Breathe me in,
Let the wind dry your tears,
And let the smell of me,
Bring a smile to your lips.
Lay upon the grass with me.

Breathe

Richard Palmquist 5-4-03