Josie Balka

“Wounds have no choice but to heal eventually And you will find something else to cry about But it won’t be them”
― Josie Balka, I Hope You Remember: Poems on Loving, Longing, and Living

“If you’ve ever had a dog, you know.
You know what it’s like to be loved
just for being exactly who you are.

You could have nothing,
and you’d still be everything to them.
You could lose it all,
and they wouldn’t bat an eye
in the unconditional way
you can only understand
if you’ve ever had a dog.

You know how to find the good
in a slow walk in the rain,
even while you’re chilled to the bone.

You know that even on the worst day ever,
there’s a little happiness
on the other side of the door,
if only for a moment.

You know how to selflessly surrender
your last and best bite of food
without ever hearing a thank-you.
But you have felt the thank-yous endlessly.

If you’ve ever had a dog,
you’ve been a protector
and been protected.

You’ve been viewed as everything,
even in moments
when you’ve had nothing left to give.

Because in a world where you have a dog,
just putting your feet on the ground in the morning
is enough to be cheered on endlessly.

And if that’s not the kind of unwavering love
you need to feel like you’re enough,
I don’t know what is.

And if you’ve ever had a dog, you know
that the love is unconditional,
but the time you get is not.

And years are fast,
but dog years are faster.

If you’ve ever had a dog,
you will know
one of the greatest loves
and one of the greatest heartbreaks
is having a dog.

But you will carry the feeling of being loved,
just for being who you are,
until the end of time.

You will always know,
in some way or another,
that you are enough.

And it will be because
you had a dog.”
― Josie Balka, Loves of Our Lives: Poems for Hopeful Hearts