Thank you, Jeff for sharing this poem with us during Ohio class with Almine.

I have the best friend that anyone could.

Tammy lives next door you see,

and loves to come explore with Me.

Our daily adventure through the neighborhood.

She’s always first to rise,

and sits patiently waiting outside

knowing faithfully I will come.

It’s an endless surprise, to meet her brown eyes,

anticipating a day of fun.

First a ritual to begin our date,

even though we’re running late.

I test my plastic telescope, then stash it in my pocket.

Tammy just does her silly Wiggle Dance Mockit.

now We’re ready for what awaits

We dash and race to quicken the pace

She can run faster than Me,

but I can climb higher than She.

We comb the grass and scratch our backs, while rolling on the ground.

We sniff blossoms and leaves, and dirty our knees

and play catch with balls We’ve found.

I share my p.b. & jelly

I rest my head on her belly.

We take turns to see who has a bigger sigh

We like to watch the cotton races,

finding funny forming fluffy faces sailing softly through the spying sky.

I follow Her, then She follows Me.

Sometimes We hide and seek.

It’s fun to share the day together,

even in weathers bleak.

Soon the sun will be taken.

The street lights have already wakened.

I can hear my Mom bellow my name.

No more time to roam.

Time to make our way home.

Tomorrow We’ll meet again to finish our venture game.

Well, tomorrow came, and it’s here right now,

but this morning Tammy is nowhere to be found.

…I carried the day alone.

more days pass, still no Tammy.

…again, I explore alone.

Then one day, gazing out the window, playing in a memory,

I finally ask my Mom, whose eyes are on my shoulder, if She knows where Tammy could be.

“She moved to a beautiful farm, far, far away” She said.

I see Her frolicking near a barn, in the bubble above my head.

Unknown to Me, another white lie.

My Mom couldn’t tell me Tammy had died.

I’ll miss my best friend.

I’ll miss her wet kisses.

I’ll miss those brown eyes that shined.

I’ll miss that silly wiggle dance, her tail fanning behind.

What I’ll think I’ll miss most is hugging her big furry body.

Big furry friends might be hard to find.