He died as he had lived
Just on the other side of the door
Alone and yet not alone
Lonely, yet always
With willing and loving humans
always about

Ready to indulge his
Mischievous longing,
Persuasive, pleading, - look
Calling for play,
Company or any treat available

Yet
Undemanding
Always ready to love and to please
And to creep into one’s heart with his winsome ways
Always a boxer dog

But willing to shout the odds in an entirely non-aggressive way
Raising his voice in harrying tone
When perceiving being ignored
Even a tad

Hey! Hey! Hey!
I am not a part of what you are presently engaged in
What’s your case then?
No! No! No!
I’ll not put up with that!
Pay attention now...
See this blue plastic bone?
You are to throw it for me,
I’ll fetch it for you with great display of pleasure
Then we can play a bit of tug of war,
You and I
Got it?

Now which part of that did you not understand?
Let me explain it to you once more...

Dearest darling Zeus,
We greet you with loving and fond farewell
Who can say
Perhaps we will all meet once more
At the end of the rainbow
And once again share our deep and lasting loving kindness
And regard for one, the other
Oh happy day to look forward to.

Know always that we love you dearly and you live on
In our hearts and minds.
Dearest departed one.

For Zeus, a very special boxer dog.
Anthony Rennie
22 May 2009

They say memories are golden
Well, maybe that's true.
I never wanted memories,
I only wanted you.
A million times I needed you,
A million times I cried.
If love alone could have saved you,
You never would have died.
In life I loved you dearly,
In death I love you still.
In my heart you hold a place
No one else can fill.
If tears could build a stairway
And heartache made a lane,
I'd walk the path to heaven
And bring you back again.
Our family chain is broken,
And nothing seems the same.
But as God calls us one by one,
The chain will link again.

Rest in peace, my Wooksie, until I walk with you again.

See my coy look in the picture?
Don’t be fooled
Xavier is my name
and
Man-work is my game
In my sojourn on earth I have made my people proud
Very, very proud
Of me
I remember so well when still a puppy
Visiting German Judge Ralf Brinkmann offered DM 5000 to take me home to Germany with him
Despite my much criticised (unjustly so, in my view) so-called short nose
But my people were having none of that; I was as precious as a child to them, you see
Think of the face saving for the FBCSA before the German Judge (also visiting) Karin Rezewski
It was a breed survey
All the other dogs were Oh so poor on the day (I am really sorry to say)
Then came me
Man! Was she (and all in attendance) impressed with my performance!
(She only found my nose to be a ”little” on the short side in that breed survey)
So all you people at the end of the rainbow,
Get those sleeves and arms and pillows and sausages, whips and sticks and padded suits and all the other man-work paraphernalia ready
I’m coming and we are all going to have so much fun
For all eternity
I know my people miss me and are very sad at my passing
But don’t worry
We’ll meet again at the end of the rainbow and that will be, truly, a joyous day
So until then
Know that I will be practising and eagerly awaiting your happy arrival

Farewell Xavier
Stay well Xavier
You remain in our hearts and our minds for always
Magnificent fellow.

Anthony Rennie
2010-12-09