He Gave Us Enough
The life of a vet gives him stories to tell.
Some days are routine. Some days are like hell.
But then there are those he will never forget
that make it worth living the life of a vet.
When Rex first came in, he lived up to his name.
He stood like a king, full of life, always game.
He lit up the room, seemed so healthy and strong
‘twas hard to conceive there’d be anything wrong.
But this time when six-year old John and his mum
brought Rex for a check-up, their faces were glum.
As John’s trembling voice softly asked Rex to heel
there were tears in his eyes that he could not conceal.
Proud Rex was uneasy and started to fret,
as John and his mother explained to the vet:
“The lump on his back isn’t going away,
it just keeps on growing, gets larger each day.”
The vet shared the anguish writ large on their face
this cancerous growth he just could not erase.
They said their farewells and gave Rex one last hug,
then turned from the vet who injected the drug.
John’s mother then asked of the vet if he knew
why dogs cannot live for as long as men do.
“I really don’t know,” said the vet, looking sad
“It’s best to remember the good times you’ve had.”
Then six-year-old John, as he wiped off his tears,
provided an answer belying his years.
His answer was simple, he knew Rex was dead.
But all of them wondered at what he then said:
“Us people are born just to learn how to live
and learn to love others, and learn to forgive.
But Rex had already learnt all of that stuff,
so he went to heaven. He gave us enough.”
© M. P. Langenberg July 2009