Kon Tiki A Poem

Life rolls along, you believe everything’s groovy and, bam! The game changes!

It’s always a shock when we lose our pets, either through accident, euthanasia after a careful discussion with your vet, or they simply die on their own. Our little Chiquita was over 15 when she died.

Grief takes us on its own path and no matter how many times in my life I’ve experienced it, I will never “master” it. My initiation began at six when I lost my dad.

What I have learned is that grieving is a process. It takes time. It has its own way of working through your heart and life. There are times that you feel as though your heart is breaking apart and the tears will never end. Yet, they eventually subside and the memories flood over you. Laughter returns as you recall the good things about the loved one.

Tears cleanse our souls of the hurt and anger and allow us to feel joy again. If we do not grieve, we store the negative energy and block love. I have watched it happen to others and it’s a very sad and lonely existence. It’s not for me. In the past, I used to block my feelings with a variety of things.  Today I choose to grieve and feel the feelings. I know that on the other side are joy, laughter and more love.

We adopted Chiquita from the Arizona Humane Society quite by accident. We had looked for weeks for a new companion for our other dog. We had lost her companion and have always preferred to have two in our pack. One day after lunch we stopped on a whim. I recall my husband saying, “We don’t have to get a dog today.”

As we walked into the kennels, a woman was walking a beautiful little Chihuahua mix on a leash. I instantly fell in love. “Are you adopting that dog?” I breathlessly asked her. “Oh, no, I’m just taking her back to her kennel,” she replied.

I volunteered for the job. My husband hurried home to get our other dog, Koko, for a meet & greet. Koko, a Jack Russell/Chihuahua mix, got along reasonably well and we adopted Chiquita that day.

About a year after adopting her she became very listless and wouldn’t eat. Her vet tried several tests and finally suggested one last test for Addison’s disease. Bingo!

So we had a dog with Addison’s (we were glad we had purchased pet insurance when we first adopted her!). This proved a prudent investment, as there were a few times (before we found a vet well-versed in Addison’s) that we almost lost her and had to spend a few hundred on emergency vet care.

We would have done it several times over as she was a wonderful dog. Through her we met some great vets in our area. Our current vet was shocked and heartbroken when she died. Each vet tech and the doctor signed her card. She was a real fighter and a character to her last breath. We shall miss her terribly, but we loved every minute of her life. It was a joy to care for her.

Is there a new dog at the end of this story? I don’t know. I believe so. There are so many in shelters in need of a good home. Almost all of our dogs have been shelter dogs. As my husband says, “They cost so little and give so much back in return.”

We nicknamed her “Tiki” and I wrote this poem in honor of my baby girl. I’m sure that many of you feel the same way about your pets. It is an honor and privilege to care for God’s creatures. She was my angel.

Her feet plodded across

A landscape of a thousand tiny pearls

Her stinging tears rained into the sand

Each a tiny impression

Of her broken heart.

Under the soft light of a full moon

She made her way toward the indigo sea

Cradling a tiny blue and white sailboat.

The waves were there to greet her.

First white, then lapis and white again.

Like an old friend in a time of sorrow

She fell to her knees, sobbing

“I don’t want to let you go!”

Her chest lifting and falling with each cry.

She rose, clutching the tiny boat

And walked to the edge of the water.

Placing a small piece of paper onto its deck, she kissed the vessel

And pushed it lovingly into the waiting waters.

“You know I always will love you!”

She watched the craft bob up and down as it

Moved out to sea.

“I love you! You were the best! Godspeed! Au revoir, my faithful friend!”

She fell into the soft sand under the yellow moonlight and cried.

For a very long time.

When she wiped her last tear and gazed at the horizon, the little craft was gone.

The moon was setting and the sky was getting lighter.

She gathered up her things, looked one last time at the ocean and said:

“I will never forget you.”