The first time I saw you,
you weren’t barking,
weren’t howling, desperate, begging—
you were waiting.
Waiting like you already knew.
Like you saw something in me
no one else ever had.
All the other dogs were chaos,
but you—
you stood on your hind legs,
golden eyes burning bright,
like a lantern cutting through the dark.
“Hey! There you are! Took you long enough!”
And that was it.
I had never been chosen before.
Not by family, not by blood.
But you?
You put your paws on my shoulders,
pressed your head to mine,
and said, “This is where I belong.”
They called you a dog.
I call you my son, my best friend, my anchor.
My sun-eyed boy.
Fur black as midnight,
paws dipped in earth,
chest marked in white like battle armor.
A knight in shining fur.
A ladies’ man who could charm his way
into a five-star restaurant
and leave with a steak.
You used to run.
Dumb frat boy energy, chaos on four legs.
And then—
someone came for me.
A shadow in the dark, hands full of harm,
and you saw.
You knew.
And in a blink—
you were teeth and fury, a warning made flesh.
And when they ran—
you turned back, tail wagging,
eyes full of love.
“Don’t worry, Mom. I got you.”
That was the moment we locked in.
You are mine. I am yours.
And nothing—
not time, not pain,
not even the weight of this world—
could break that.
Now, you’re older.
You don’t run,
but damn if you don’t move.
Sliding across the floor like you own it,
like the loss of your legs is just a technicality.
A war veteran still marching forward.
You still watch me,
like I’m the most interesting thing in the world,
like you’re taking notes on my every move.
You know when I’m slipping.
When the darkness creeps in,
when old ghosts whisper that I don’t belong,
you press against me, lean in heavy—
a weight that keeps me here.
“No. Stay. Breathe. Just one more day.”
You know your left from your right,
you know “good boy” from “thank you.”
You know my soul
like no one else ever has.
Gentle as a lamb,
fierce as a storm when it matters.
I sing you a million songs,
make up stupid names—
Boo Boo, The Boogey Man, Mr. Boo Jangles,
Clutchy Von Boom Boom—
because you deserve poetry in every breath.
But our song?
Our song is “You Are My Sunshine.”
Because that’s what you are.
I know I don’t have forever.
One day, the world will dare to take you from me,
and it will tear me apart.
But you have filled me with enough love
to last a lifetime.
Because Clutch—
you didn’t just save me once.
You save me every damn day.
And when that day comes,
I will carry every moment,
every lesson,
every ounce of love you gave me.
And I will keep going.
Because I promised you.
And because you?
You chose me first.
