Perro Linda

The finest gift I ever received

Did not come from a store.

It wasn’t a thing I’d “always wanted”.

Or replacement for that which I’d had before.

It came to me without wrappings.

No boxes or bags, no ribbon or bow.

Where something never existed before,

It started small and continued to grow.

Given without ceremony or occasion,

No holiday or celebration of birth.

No commencement or wedding.

No brand names to declare its worth.

It was not given lightly.

No gag gift or last-minute buy.

Nor was it sized precisely to fit,

In fact it is as big as the sky.

The giver is now departed,

Though his gift remains intact.

It perseveres from beyond the grave.

One must not overlook this fact.

It enriches my life daily,

Even to this day.

Though given many years ago,

It never fades away.

It was your gift of love and kinship,

Stretched across so many years,

From the truest friend I will ever know,

Whose loyal spirit now dries my tears.

• Paz