A Dog Has Lived

A dog has lived, a friendship shared,

Of silent lucidity, of humanity bared.

A sniff, a lick, an innocent pry,

Vivid conversations, through an intimate eye.

A loyal companion, with a powerful bust,

The gentle giant, a deterrent to trust.

A contagious spirit, he wags his tail,

To embark on journeys, to just set sail.

Alas so near, yet so far he's going,

He feels it too, on his face its showing.

The ghost breathes out, without a sigh,

Silenced by an angel's lullaby.

It leaves behind for us to see,

Fond memories, for all eternity.

And takes away as it departs,

The 'Scamper' that once lit our hearts.

A dog has lived, a friendship shared,

Of silent lucidity, of humanity bared.

--- Alistair D'souza (2010)

Happy New Year

We partied, we played

We stayed up late, all dazed

We sang, we danced

We ate, we laughed

Through all the merriment

Through all the haze

2009 slipped away

2010 was upon us, all ablaze

A millennium has passed in our time

Now a decade within the millennium has also bid adieu

On the brink of another gift of time

I stop and reflect on what has gone by, And on what is to come

This of all years has been a defining one

I thank God for all He has given me

And for all that He chose not to give

I am sorry for a lot of things I did, and some that I didn’t do

As the curtains rise

On another road untraveled

May we make new mistakes

And get closer to who we are to become

May we learn to speak less

And listen more

May we choose to believe in God

And not rely solely on ourselves

May we cherish the gift of time

And be better than we have ever been before


Happy New Year!

--- Margaret Desouza