Talisman
I could think of the saddest things today
And all the grief and all the pain
For not having been there to see you breathe your last, old friend

I close my eyes and try to sleep
But all the memories come rushing in
It is strange how happiness is so painfully sweet in retrospect

The night goes on, and sleep arrives like a lullaby
It is the summer of my childhood once again
A happy tail greets me at the door
I meet my partner in crime once more

A bark answers me every time we whistle
And off we go, exploring every bush and thistle
Feet patter along with me across yellow fields and cracked earth
Of hideouts and races and chasing odd bits of paper, there is no dearth

And when the day closes and mother turns off the light
My conspirator jumps into bed as soon as she is out of sight
Dreams are pleasant and full of tireless exploring,
My friend doesn't even disturb me with her snoring,

Morning brings with it milk and bread
That we share, rubbing our sleepy heads
Lazy afternoons find us chasing butterflies and sticks in leafy glades
And when we're tired, we fall asleep in the shade

The canal beckons to us on insufferably hot days
And my companion and I try scaring the fishes by swimming in a whole bunch of new ways

We've climbed rocks and cliffs and mountains and swung from Banyan roots as well
But this is the hardest climb we've made uphill

And thinking thus, I look down at my loyal friend
Who looks up, panting and laughing
As if telling me that Death takes away many things,
But love is not one of them

And there are many legacies to be left behind, but none like happy days and the sun in them,

And many elegies can be written, but the best one, is remembrance, my old friend.