Wordsworth and Rain and Breathing Hearts

Life 1 Minute 
 
  “Fill your paper 
 with the breathings 
 of your heart.” 
 I’ve carried 
 Wordworth’s words awhile.
 I've worn them 
 around my neck.
 Today I breathe 
 a few of my own
 onto this page
 with my whole heart.
  


 Wordsworth would say,
 “The Poet thinks and feels 
 in the spirit of the passions of men…
 he must express himself
 as other men
 express themselves…”
 with “a greater readiness 
 and power in expressing 
 what he thinks and feels.”
 It’s about the expression,
 man’s or woman’s,
 keeping it simple.
 Relatable. 
  
 He would say,
 “…in proportion 
 as ideas and feelings 
 are valuable, 
 whether the composition 
 be in prose or in verse, 
 they require and exact 
 one and the same language.”
 So Mr. Wordsworth,
 Do your words 
 a poem make?
  
 Today my heart stopped breathing. 
 So did the heart of my dog Rain. 
 She was fourteen years old 
 with a heart of gold, 
 a heart that failed. 
 But did it really—
 when she gave so much 
 love away? 
  
 One month ago, my mother passed. 
 Rain traveled across 
 the state line. 
 A good eleven hours 
 in the car each way.
 Away from home
 eleven days. 
 The trip was hard. 
 For both of us. 
 Rain suddenly seemed 
 her age.
  
 On the third day 
 of the new year, 
 a Sunday,
 Rain couldn’t breathe.
 I was ready then 
 to let her go. 
 But oxygen 
 and medicine,
 a hospital stay 
 and a dollar or two 
 could fix her
 good as new. 
 For a moment. 
 Just ten days 
 after my mother’s death, 
 I couldn’t do loss again. 
 But I knew Rain’s time would come. 
 And now—“The rain is over and gone!” 
 Yet somehow my heart breathes on.

Published by Crystal Byers

When I was young, my dad would always say, "Crystal, you can choose your attitude." One day I chose to believe him.

Published

70 thoughts on “Wordsworth and Rain and Breathing Hearts”

  1. What a beautiful tribute to your dear animal friend! Two losses in such a short time must indeed be difficult. 😕

    I’m glad you shared these thoughts with your blog friends, Crystal. May God comfort you with the same comfort you have given to others. This reader sees his own struggles through the lens of yours—though they are not one and the same.

    God’s best to you.

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  11. I totally understand this inability to say goodbye to anything after the death of ones mother. The pain overwhelms and there’s not room for more. Oh I’m so sorry, so much loss, letting go, my heart is breaking with you Crystal, sending love and prayers, holding you very gently in my thoughts. 💕

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    1. Thank you, Jerry. I haven’t read that one, but I will look for it. I’ve heard this one before—

      “A single rose can be my garden… a single friend, my world.”

      I didn’t realize Leo said it. How true.

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  16. Terribly sorry for your loss. Art is always a way to feel better and this poem is heartbreaking. I hope that things come in a better place for you. You can definitely stay strong. Peace and blessings ♥️

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  18. I’m so sorry for the loss of your beloved Rain. You are going through it, friend. Be kind to yourself. Sending prayers for strength and comfort during this difficult season. 💕🙏

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  19. Such a heart touching tribute to sweet Rain.
    I also lost my Menoo, a dear cat of mine. He breathed last in my arms.
    It was a difficult time but my mother told that God is kind. He made a better decision for Menoo.
    God bless you dear, Crystal💖
    Much love and blessings for you ❤💖❤

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  23. Oh Crystal, Rain is such a cutie. I remember seeing her make an appearance on Zoom every now and then. I am praying for your comfort during this season of compounded love. May the memories continue to give you life and the strength to breathe deeply, remember passionately, and press forward courageously.

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  24. Crystal, your heart’s yearning has stirred my own. What a beautiful tribute to Rain, your friend. Your family.

    Our companions share our lives, our joy and our love for so long, their milestones become our own. How can this be true of anyone who isn’t family?

    Just like our human relations, pets improve immeasurably the time we spend together. Rain held your heart, as you did hers. Their companionship is far too rich a part of our tapestries not to continue.

    For all family members, human and non-, the narrative keeps going. Sorrow now, mellowing soon to fond recollections and yes, to smiles eventually. Then, after that, best of all, to reunions.

    For those who make our hearts beat, it never is “goodbye,” but “until we see each other next.” Yes, until then, dear friends.

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    1. I’ve only had two dogs in my life. I picture my mom and my first dog Deacon greeting Rain at the pearly gates. Rain’s tail is wagging, and she’s standing on her tiny hind legs jumping up and down. Of course, I miss her like crazy, but I hear my mom saying, “It’s okay. It’s all okay.”

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      1. So you’ve pictured it, Crystal, so it awaits. With that one vision, your mind assures your heart “It’s all okay.”

        A glimpse of what immortality will bring us soon enough. Lots more learning and good experiences yet, before we reach those gates, but they do glisten, don’t they?

        Your Mom and my Dad. Your dogs and my cats. Times ten billion. What we currently imagine to be happiness, times a hundred billion. That’s what draws near. Ah, so this is is what the whole point has been.

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      2. I have a few more cats to add. They’re probably covered in your times ten billion. But happiness times a hundred billion? Just wow. It’s all such a gorgeous perspective.

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  25. Oh no! I’m sending my deepest condolences Crystal ❤

    I can relate very much to this as my father died in 2015 and then months later, Rascal, my toy poodle. I sat around with boxes of ashes for months before I snapped out of a funk and did a little ceremony.

    I do hope you're doing well.

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  29. Thank you for sharing!!.. Rain lives in your heart…. 🙂

    Do not stand at my grave and weep
    I am not there, I do not sleep
    I am a thousand winds that blow
    I am the diamonds glints in the snow
    I am the sunlight on ripened grain
    I am the gentle autumn rain
    When you awaking in the morning hush
    I am the swift uplifting rush of quiet birds in circled flight
    I am the soft star that shines at night
    Do not stand by my grave and cry
    I am not there, I did not die
    (Mary Frye)

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  30. I am so sorry for your loss, Crystal. It is so hard to lose your mother and then your beloved pet. My mum died in January 2002 and our two elderly cats died within months of her. Sending you a virtual hug. K x

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  32. They are as much a part of our family as every human member and just as special. Some times a little more so because their love is unconditional and without restrictions. I’m sorry you had to face so much loss so close together.

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  34. Pingback: Sharing Saturday Wordsworth and Rain and Breathing Hearts — Faith + Gratitude = Peace + Hope | I Kissed a Dog and I Liked It

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