The Puzzle Forever Incomplete

My heart was made of many pieces.

I don’t know how or why, but one quietly slipped away.

People would say, “It’s just a dog, don’t be ridiculous…”

But she was a piece of my heart.

She can never be replaced.

She can never be forgotten.

Now I sit, with pieces remaining—three right here next to me,

And one apart, with whom our loss is felt in silence.

All I can think about is her—

Her funny face,

Her endless hunger that made me laugh.

I can only think about the small things, you know?

How she would “lick” the air,

How she would bark in silent mode when she needed something,

How, even with bad legs, she’d try to run to me whenever I came home.

All I can think about now is what it must have been like back in 2019,

When she was abandoned on the street, in the rain…

What was she thinking?

I suppose she believed the one who left her there was coming back.

I’m sure she carried the weight of abandonment after that.

I could see it in her eyes every time I walked just a little too far from her during our walks.

Even now, I find myself grabbing an extra treat, forgetting she’s gone.

I still place my pillow at the edge of the bed, leaving space for her.

I can’t bring myself to remove her food bowl or her medications from the shelf.

Every second I think or talk about anything other than her,

It feels like I’m betraying her memory.

I think I can never be happy again.

I can never smile again.

How could I?

I’ve lost a part of the puzzle of my heart.

Now we'll never be complete.

We lost a piece of our family puzzle, our Sparkle. ✨