snippet of my poem for creative writing, titled: ‘a letter to my childhood dog’. pls be kind i am nawwwtt good at poetry and its my first draft. a letter to my childhood dog. may 15th, 2022. it wasn’t supposed to happen like this, quick— fleeting— silent it was supposed to be planned—in a vet's office while we cradled you, whispering “good boy” and giving you chocolate because it was your last day. it was my idea—that you should be set free of the suffering you endured. i miss you. instead, i wake to my mother's sob of sorrow as she leads me to your dead body, and instead of being sad, i thought to myself: “thank goodness,” i thought, “you aren’t in pain anymore.” except: i didn’t say goodbye. i miss you. grief is a funny little thing. taking up corners of the room, filling the air with silence in your absence. i call your name, only the wind answers. is it you? i wonder. expecting you to come running around the corner. except-- i wonder, were you scared? did you feel alone? or was it like a dream you don’t wake up from? wake up, i miss you. i keep your belongings in a box stuffed full, i make sure to clean your urn and sit it atop the mantle. when you slip from my mind, i look at it and stare, i don’t ever want to forget about you. sam. sammy. samson. my childhood dog. i miss you.