10.12.2013

Tiger Tiger Burning Bright

Three years.  Three years today since Girly Girl tore open the heart I had given her to hold for me.  I had plans to try and write something this year that was more upbeat and focused more on the gifts she gave me instead of the intense grief that I still feel even now.  But unfortunately for us all, 3 years does not seem to have been enough time to form a scab or scar tissue.  It’s still way too raw. 

Instead I will leave you with a poem that has always made me think of my girl and the first line of which inspired one of her nicknames:
The Tiger
by William Blake

TIGER, tiger, burning bright

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?


In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?

On what wings dare he aspire?

What the hand dare seize the fire?


And what shoulder and what art

Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,

What dread hand and what dread feet?


What the hammer? what the chain?

In what furnace was thy brain?

What the anvil? What dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?


When the stars threw down their spears,

And water'd heaven with their tears,

Did He smile His work to see?

Did He who made the lamb make thee?

Tiger, tiger, burning bright

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

My tiger tiger burning bright


I miss you tiger.
2/15/03-10/12/10

6 comments:

  1. Beautiful! It's been 10 years since my first corgi boy left, and going through his photo album still brings tears to my eyes!

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  2. So glad you found that lovely poem to share with us!

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  3. Having loved and lost quite a few dogs now I do know how you're feeling. But better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all :) Which is no comfort whatsoever, sorry. I have videos of my family of dogs from 15+ years ago that I can't watch. Photos are OK but I'm not ready to watch them run around and not be there with them. Plus I don't have a video player any more! One day I'll get them put onto a DVD, but not yet.

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  4. I met you after Girly Girl passed away, so I only know her through your remembrance posts. Your great love (and broken heart) come through so clearly. What a special girl, and I'm so sorry for you during this sad time. Sending my most comforting thoughts.

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  5. I still catch myself missing my first Greyhound, Treat, and Blueberry, too. I thought I was handling Blue's loss pretty well, but then I read about yet another hound dying from osteo this past week and I felt upset about it all over again. I don't think there's anything wrong with still missing them, it just means that they were well-loved, like all dogs should be.

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  6. One of the reasons I keep my blog is that I will have such a great archive of stories and photos to remember them by when it is their time. Their time with us is short, far too short.

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