The Long Walk Home
An Ode to Pets in Audio and Textual Form

I cannot bear to lose you,
Though I know you must one day go.
All the miles you have walked by my side,
are but a fraction of that long walk home.
A bright, jingling empty collar,
and a heart as heavy as a stone.
No one can prepare me for that awful long walk home.
Every creature has its time,
and though I will not let you go.
You will go where I cannot follow,
and leave me with the long walk home.
I wrote this poem while waiting to hear if my pet was coming home from an emergency vet visit. Below is a spoken performance of that poem.
About the Creator
S. A. Crawford
Writer, reader, life-long student - being brave and finally taking the plunge by publishing some articles and fiction pieces.
Reader insights
Nice work
Very well written. Keep up the good work!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme



Comments (11)
Nicely written!
Beautiful and bittersweet. Well written, Sheree!!!
I sure can relate. Well written!
Some tender thoughts. I have never been a pet owner but over the last 30 years we seem to have looked after so many waifs and strays including an 18 year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier who was abandoned and take to the vets where my daughter worked and brought home. The dog was with us for her final three months and died peacefully in my daughter's arms. I wrote a story about her for my daughter and it is posted here.
Heartbreaking. My cat definitely get me through times. Lovely poem.
I'm sorry for you have to go through this. I had several pets in my life and it happened way too often with us, so I can really relate. Hope everything will be all right in the end.
I really felt this. Beautifully written.
Beautiful and heartfelt...it pulls on all my heart strings.
I love that you shared audio of you reciting this emotionally gripping poem—and I love your accent. I’m glad she’s back home.
Very beautiful! I'm not a pet owner myself but I could feel all of the emotion you put into this piece. Thank you for sharing
Great work, very moving.