Roughie (Rough Black Handle) Hummel: A Eulogy

(poems go here)There's a hole in our lives that grief and time and fond remembrance

can cover over but never completely refill, and so we honor and remember you Roughie. From everyone you touched, thanks for every moment.

Debbie the psycho dog whirls and twirls with a little less intensity because she misses her friend. Sylvester the big cat meows his squeaky little meow this morning and plops down in the spot right in the doorway between the den and the front room where he used to pow wow with you. Sammy the insistent cat meows 501 times until I let him sit on my stomach and chest to nudge and nibble away his emptiness. Andrew wipes away his tears and sublimates his sobs with an intense weightlifting workout in your memory. Anca walks sufferingly through her various chores and routines murmuring regret and forgiveness for calling you Idiot! every time you got in the non-recyclable garbage for the tasty banana peels, coffee grounds and grease soak paper towels found there. And I turn from my domestic chores and regular cyber space preoccupations to salute you with this heartfelt and inadequate eulogy.

Junkyard mother begat a prince
Ever the watch dog
But after a couple 'a sniffs 
Was always anyone's friend...ever since.
Memories of making the pool guy fly,
And letting the Rocky Point beach vendor know
With uncustomarily hostile barking 
That the 10 sombreros on his head just had to show
That something wasn't right.
Always loved how the first thing you would do
When I let you out, was to look back 
To see if I was coming out too.
Brilliant eye-mouth coordination,
Even with high arching morsels 
You always got "nothin but tongue"
To the right destination, 
And no matter whether they be 
Rib eye, salmon or five day left overs,
You always wagged your appreciation.
Love is always its own reward
You knew this instinctively
Thanks for helping we poor humans
See a goal worth working toward.