Until Then

The house doesn't creak the same, no pause upon the floor Each corner filled with shadows where you once would snore I come home to silence where laughter used to spill In the quiet of the evening, I miss you still Your leash hangs by the door just like any other day But there's no joyful barking, no games left to play My feet find your fur still clinging to the rug Each strand a whispered memory, a soft heartbroken hug In the silence of your wake, I wander through each room Feeling echoes of your love now swallowed by the gloom How I long for one more moment, one more wag of your tail In the hush of my heart, where you left your trail Night stretched into empty, the clock ticks out your song Each tick a step away from you, each tock feels so wrong The space beside my bed is cold, bereft of your warm light I reach out into darkness, missing you each night They say time will ease the pain and soon I'll find my way But they never knew the heartbeat at my feet, each day You were more than just a pet You were family, my friend In the quiet of this house, I can't pretend In the silence of your wake, I trace where you would tread Every corner holds a story, every space a bed How I ache for your soft nuzzle, your gentle trusting eyes In the stillness of this life, where your memory lies So I'll sit here in this silence, letting tears freely flow For the love that you gave me, for the joy you let me know And I'll hold on to the moments, till I feel you nudge again In the whispers of the wind, until then