Extra Credit: Writing About Writing

One of my favorite types of writing is poetry. There are many different types of poetry, and an endless amount of things to write about.
On the morning of Monday, March 29, 2010, my dog Nala got put down. I had had her since I was two years old, and she was 15 when we put her down. She was a black lab-border collie mix, and was having joint issues and she had diabetes. It was hard, since I didn't remember a time when she wasn't there. Some people say losing a pet isn't the same as losing someone you know, and maybe it is a little different, but pets are a part of the family. It was really hard on me when we put her down.
During this time in school we were writing poetry. There were two assignments in this that were my favorite; one was a memory poem, and one was to write about anything you wanted. I wrote both about Nala.

Nala

She didn't go quietly,

The dog with which I shared my life.

In subtle ways she lets me know

Her spirit still survives.

Old habits still make me think

I hear her at the door.

Or step back when I drop

          a treat on the floor.

My feet still go around the place

Her food dish used to be.

And sometimes coming home at night,

I miss her terribly.

Although time may bring

A need food dish to fill,

That one place in my heart

Belongs to her,

And always will.

My Dog

My dog, Nala, had long black fur,

With a white chest, and muzzle.

She had big brown eyes that cried to you,

If you were holding food.

My dog, Nala, was a lazy dog,

Never chasing tennis balls.

She didn't like to swim,

Or play with other dogs she didn't know.

My dog, Nala, always whined,

Whenever someone came home.

It was her way of welcoming you,

And saying, "I missed you so!"

My dog, Nala, was fifteen years old,

When the time came to put her down.

She was in a lot of pain,

And it was her time to go.

My dog, Nala, loved us all,

And that, we knew for sure.

She's watching us from heaven now,

Happy, free, renewed.

The first poem was the memory one, and the second was the open. I liked writing these, because it allowed me to let my feelings out and remember Nala in a positive way. I have a new dog now, but I still think about Nala often. She was my first dog and I will always remember her.