LOVE POETRY
Poppy Love
One of the best friends I ever had
We met in 2015
as I accepted a house sitting position
to look after an old dog
She was ill
couldn’t walk for more than twenty minutes
without needing a rest
She was on steroids
I nursed her
and she improved
We walked slowly once a day
and she improved
we walked down by the river
and she improved
we walked twice a day
and she improved
we walked and walked and walked and walked
ending up walking six hours to the coast
without issue
Her health had returned
I had unwittingly loved her back to health
and she had fiercely loved me back
For four months
we were constant companions
best mates
Only in hindsight do I know
that Poppy was also
nursing me
I didn’t know how ill I was
— autoimmune disease
is like that
My normal
wasn’t normal
at all
How could I know?
I didn’t know
I simply didn’t know
Some mistook my lethargy
called me lazy
I was constantly exhausted
Then not
Until I was again
Poppy never mistook me
for anyone other
than me
The Herculean effort
to do ordinary things
was my normal
How could I know?
I didn’t know
I simply didn’t know
No diagnosis from doctors
not ill enough to worry
too damn tired to ignore
Poppy cared not for any diagnosis
she simply cared
for me
The healing
we gave each other
was magic
Moving on was hard
but I did it anyway
My mother said
that it was like giving up my own dog
and I agreed
When I heard that she had passed
the depth of my upsetness
took me by surprise
So after five years
I look back
at that short time with Poppy
Her memory inspires me
there was no mistaking
how connected we were
Now five years later
I am the one on steroids
walking most days
My focus is on improving
taking myself for walks
and I’m improving
Poppy showed me how to live a second life
the importance of passion
to live for now
To imbibe the world
with clear
pure enthusiasm
Poppy’s wisdom
was better than any human
— and I got to see it
Her memory fills me up
I yearn for her sweet accepting nature
her unconditional wise accepting presence
and I’m improving.