Charlie

my good friend, always with me

personal photo

Charlie allowed death to overtake him today,
he’d been slowing down anyway:
his old ticker on the blink,
arthritis in his legs and more
grey on his dear, dear face.

The old trooper staggered on.
out with me on this, his final night,
plodding, painfully, slowly,
through the wet grass:

him looking up at me,
me patting his broad, black back.
We were making our time last
as we said our silent goodbyes.