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"A million times I will miss you,
A million more times cry.
If love alone could have saved you,
You never would have died.
In life I loved you dearly,
In death I love you still.
In my heart you hold a special place
No other one can fill.
The golden gates stood open,
God said that you must rest.
His garden must be beautiful;
He always picks the best."

---from Front and Finish

Love, Donna and Joseph Joyce

I will lend to you for awhile
A Borzoi pup, God said;
For you to love her while she lives
And mourn for when she's dead.
Maybe twelve or fourteen years,
Or only two or three.
But will you, till I call her back,
Take care of her for me?
She'll bring her charms to gladden you
And, should her stay be brief,
You'll always have her memories
As solace for your grief.
I cannot promise she will stay,
Since all from earth return,
But there are lessons taught below
I want this pup to learn.
I've looked the whole world over
In search of teachers true
And from the folk that crowd this earth
I now have chosen you.
Now will you give her all your love
Nor think the labour vain
Nor hate me when I come to take
My Borzoi back again?
God fancied that He heard them say,
Dear Lord, Thy will be done.
For all the joys this pup will bring,
The risk of grief we'll run.
We'll shelter her with tenderness
We'll love her while we may.
And for the happiness we've known,
Forever grateful stay.
But should you come to call her back
Much sooner than we've planned,
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes
And try to understand.
If by our love we've managed
Your wishes to achieve,
The memory of her we loved
Will help us whilst we grieve.
When our beloved bundle
Departs this world of strife,
We will have yet another Borzoi
And love her all her life.

---Jill Harwood (originally titled "An English Cocker")