The Spirit of Maggie

She had spirit and was bossy, grumpy and independent
She was a Corgi, abandoned, unwanted, and unloved .
We adopted her and adored her and she tolerated us.
We catered to her, pampered her and she reluctantly
decided to live here if we continued to fuss.
Ron became her person, her follower, her slave
She was his constant companion, his girl, his mate
She rode on his lap in the truck and slept at his side at night.
She joined him for long daily walks and lavished
him with kisses when he returned from an outing.
Atop a pile of pillows, she’d survey her realm,
a princess, a treasure, and a friend to the end.
In the early years she begrudgingly endured poor Fritz
but in their old age she was his gentle and loving friend
In her dotage she survived brain cancer, radiation,
medications and would pace the house for hours.
But at fifteen, she went out one evening to pee
And, like a little ghost, just disappeared into the flowers.
We will miss her terribly. I’ll have to learn to cook without her
underfoot and Ron will reach out to pet her the rest of his life.
Now when there’s dew on the grass and wind in the trees
Maggie’s spirit will wander the farm, as free as that breeze.
Maggie Krueger
May 1994- June 2009