This poem has no name. It is for Big Spook... The Friend Who Went Away. It is for Two Spot... our precious twelve-year-old chihauhua, whose little damaged heart stopped beating on New Year's Day. It is for Jackson... our loved aging burro who was laid to rest on January 4th. It is for Winston... The Friend Who Came To Stay, whose death followed only two weeks later. It is for everyone who has ever known the heartache of saying goodbye to a loved animal. And it is a plea to every one of you to give your hurt to time and open your heart to one of the millions of unwanted animals who so desperately needs that empty place in your loving home.

Five years have passed since we fixed the place
For The Friend Who Went Away,
And we mourned his loss, but we took with love,
The Friend Who Came to Stay.

And now by the side of the first loved friend
Our second sheep dog lies.
And I feel sometimes that my heart will break
With the hurt of so many goodbyes.

I have heard so many people say
"I don't want to be hurt again."
So they close their hearts and they miss the joy
They could find with another friend.

He won't take the place of the friend you lost;
For each love stands alone.
But he'll make a place...a wonderful place,
A place that is all his own.

And the hurt that you thought would never heal
Will be part of yesterday.
And the friend that you took will be just as dear;
Only dear in a different way.

 – from "More Poetry of Guila Manchester," Book 2, 2nd Printing
© Guila Manchester. Thank you to Joan Jenrich, publisher, for permission to reprint Guila Manchester's poetry on the Four Paws in Heaven website.

This page is dedicated to the memory of Guila Manchester, founder of Humanitarians of Florida and a very dear friend to all animals. Guila crossed over the Rainbow Bridge on June 9, 2000.