THIS IS JUST A REMEBRANCE OF MY BEST FREIND.
THE ONE WHO ALWAYS KEPT ME COMPANY WHEN I WAS LONELY,
WHO WAS ALWAYS GLAD TO SEE ME NO MATTER WHAT...
HE DIDN'T MIND IF I SMOKED A CIGAR OR WORE SOME OLD, RAGGEDY JEANS,
AND HE WAS ALWAYS THERE TO  GREET ME WITH A HAPPY 'GRIN', ONE EAR UP, ONE EAR DOWN.
USUALLY HE USED MY LEGS AS A JUNGLE-GYM,
TOOK MY SPOT ON THE BED LATE AT NIGHT WHEN I WENT TO PEE...
I MISS HIS COLD NOSE NUDGING ME IN THE MORNING WHEN I SLEPT IN,
AS IF SAYING:
  "HEY!  GET UP, I WANNA' GO OUT!!!"
I MISS HIS HAPPY WHINE WHEN I COME HOME,
HIM LETTING ME KNOW HE WAS THERE AND WAITING...
HE KNEW I HATED HIM LICKING ME,
BUT SOMETIMES HE WOULD SNEAK UP AND SURPRISE ME ANYWAY...
I MISS HIS LARGE, BROWN, HAPPY, EYES...
HIS BLACK COAT WITH THE WHITE SPLOTCH ON THE CHEST AND HIS BROWN SOCKS...
I CERTAINLY MISS HEARING HIS CLAWS CLATTER ACROSS THE FLOOR,
AND WATCHING HIM BOUND AROUND THE YARD LIKE A DEER...
I MISS HIS STUPID GRIN AND WRESTLING WITH HIM ON THE FLOOR
AND THE FUNNY WAY HE LOOKED WHILE SLEEPING,
ROLLED OVER ON HIS BACK, LEGS STICKING INTO THE AIR IN CRAZY ANGLES...
HOW HE WOULDN'T LEAVE ME ALONE WHEN I WAS EATING,
SITTING THERE, STARING WITH ANOTHER HAPPY GRIN,
KNOWING I WOULD EVENTUALLY BREAK DOWN AND GIVE HIM A TREAT...
ALL OF THE TIMES HE WOULD SIT DIRECTLY BETWEEN MYSELF AND THE T.V.,
OR CONSTANTLY NUDGE MY ARM WHEN I WAS AT THE COMPUTER...
I HAD A DOZEN SILLY NAMES THAT I CALLED HIM,
'GOOFBALL' 'DOGGIE-DOGGIE' 'BUD' 'IDIOT'....
SOMETIMES JUST A SHORT WHISTLE OR 'CLUCKING' OF MY TONGUE...
HE ALWAYS KNEW IT WAS TO CALL HIM.
ALL HE ASKED FOR WAS A LITTLE FOOD AND A TUMMY RUB NOW AND AGAIN,
FOR HIS UNDYING LOVE...
HIS NAME WAS 'CROSSFIRE',
MY PARTNER AND BEST FREIND...
I MISS YOU, I MISS YOU SO MUCH...
REST EASY MY FREIND.
IT'S TIME TO STOP WRITING, BECAUSE THE TEARS ARE STARTING AGAIN...

(CROSSFIRE DIED MAY, 24 1998,
HE SUFFERED FROM KIDNEY  AND RENAL FAILURE.
BECAUSE SOME ASSHOLE HAD TO POISON HIM IN HIS OWN YARD.
I HELD HIM IN MY ARMS AS THE EUTHANSIA SOLUTION WAS ADMINISTERED.
I WILL FIND THE PERSON, EVEN DEATH CAN'T KEEP ME FROM THEM,
AND WHEN I CATCH THEM ALONE, IN THE DARK...
THEIR SILENCED SCREAMS WILL ECHO FOR ETERNITY...)