Schmuck the dog died
shivering with shallow breath
likely on a towel 
in the middle of a hardwood floor
after weeks of being carried
so he wouldn't piss himself
to the back yard or
to another towel in a room
upstairs

and I sat on the couch 
and I watched him shake 
as he lifted his head at least
to eat the painkillers in the soft cheese
and that old guitar was in tune
so I played it pretty hard
for a while

and even when he couldn't sit
or speak or roll over or do
any of the dog things, or even
ask to go outside or make it
to the door, Schmuck
was a good boy to the bitter end
And I really didn't know him 
for very long, but really 
that's all you need to know
about Schmuck the dog