Zoe

Zoe,

Zoe.

She never barked, she never made a sound at all,

they left her in the gutter when she was small,

I carried her home, I wrapped her in cloth,

I fed her by hand till she grew strong and tall,

she wouldn't eat unless she was on my lap,

she watched me with eyes that told the truth,

she had no voice but she had a heart,

and that heart became a part of you.

No bark, no bite,

just love that quietly speaks,

I traveled away, I came back you were gone,

I walked every street, I searched for weeks.

I call your name in the evening,

Zoe, wherever you are,

love never stops from searching,

I'll find you, near or far,

Zoe, Zoe,

I'm still calling,

Zoe, wherever you are,

my heart still holds you close.

One evening you came walking back,

belly full, eyes tired, but you found your way home,

I didn't ask questions, I just opened the door,

I held you close, I said welcome, you're not alone,

later I heard what happened while you were gone,

somebody's hands were never kind to you,

that's why you ran, that's why you hid,

you thought that I had left you too.

Zoe, I'm sorry,

I didn't know, I didn't know,

if I had known they'd hurt you,

I would have never let you go,

Zoe, I'm sorry,

still you came back home to me,

that kind of love,

nothing in this world can stop.

Nine of them were born that night,

nine small hearts, nine new lights,

you cleaned them well, you counted them right,

you smiled with your eyes, your work was done,

morning came, you'd already found rest,

like you knew your work was through,

you gave us nine reasons to smile,

and you left knowing they'd make it through.

Nine little lives, nine gifts,

Zoe's love lives on,

nine small paws on the ground,

her heart still moves along.

I call your name in the evening,

Zoe, thank you, thank you,

you gave us nine reasons to smile,

before you closed your eye