Thursday, March 3, 2011

Remembering Claudia


Claudia

Sweetest Welsh corgi in Wisconsin,
Our Claudia—Mare’s and mine.

Tales of Claudia throughout her life:
Geese-chasing,
River-walking,
Snow-nose plowing
Claudia.

Loved her walks with momma.
Loved watching the neighbor, Joey-dog.
Loved her family felines, Spotty and Meg.
Loved her food: meat chopped each night.

Roar of the blender:
Made Claudia dance,
Made Claudia talk-bark,
Made Claudia smile
With lips stretched from the West coast to the East coast of her face.

But this little corgi went to heaven,
And this little Mare stayed at home.
And this little Claudia will have no more roast beef.
And this little Claudia won’t come home.

Her bark is silenced.
Her dance has
ended.

But her memory lives
Beyond.
In all of us who knew her.
And loved her:
Looking out upon the river,
Laughing at the geese—

Her geese.
Her river.
Her Wisconsin snowfields.

Her life laced with love
Of the land
And her lady.