The Joy I'm Without Poem by Kurt Philip Behm

I walked with Colby,
he never walked with me

His spirit to guide us,
his love in the lead

We circled the globe
a time and a half

His tail was my compass
to guide us steadfast

In all kinds of weather
we stuck to the trail

Under sunshine and rain
our forays prevailed

In May of last year
he collapsed on our walk

And with valor he tried
but his body would balk

Its been downhill since then
with him not knowing why

The knowing inside me
his neuropathy slide

I knew it was coming
as he struggled to stay

And he fought till the end
on this very sad day

As I looked in his eyes
for the last final time

Willing to give up my life
for his health to revive

The fates were against us
his clock had run out

The pain in his parting
—the joy I'm without

(Villanova Pennsylvania: November 9th,2018)
‘Today, I lost The Best Friend I Ever Had'