My friend, he's gone away. But don't be sad.
He is in a place where he can chase
Pigs and dogs, without me pulling back
on his leash, to bark to his heart's content
Don't pull so hard.. I'll fall

There are so many ways to remember you
Your eyes asking me what was happening
I know it hurt.. but it's ok now
I wouldn't have let you go without
Telling you how much you've given me
You are my childhood, my growing up years
My life as I know it. Don't be sad.
You will endure.. you sleeping..
So peaceful, so sweet in your silence
So beautiful in your love for me.

And then, when I couldn't resist
Stroking your head and waking you
You would look at me, a little annoyed
But patient.. trusting..
And then when I wouldn't let you be
You'd scold me a little. And go
Right back to angelic sleep.

You'd crawl under my bed, it was your special place
You'd bark and bark when I clambered on it
And woke you from your dreams of chasing pigs
I wonder what really happened in those dreams
Did you just chase them around and play with them
Or did you catch them and eat them up?

I'm still sneezing from your hairs
Flying around the house.. you'd make sure
I'd be sniffling every time I left home, wouldn't you?
I thought I'd save a little bit of the omelette I made
In the morning, for me to eat.
I could feel your accusing eyes looking at me,
Asking me why I was eating your dinner
I'm sorry micku..
I never meant to. I won't ever, I promise.

You'd come and say hi to me in the morning
But I think you only did it because
Amma and Achan were there.. you were always
A little partial to them, weren't you? I'm probably
The kid who bugs you when you're sleeping
Pulls your ears and cheeks.. generally manhandles you
So you think you an come and coddle me when you want
And squirm away when I tried to hold you?
I don't blame you though.. I do that too, you know.

You liked sambar and curd rice
You slept off in the night before the rest of us
You looked down when I said cockroach
Looked up when I said lizard..
You seemed to like Malayalam more
Than you did your own language
But we knew yours too, you know
You'd growl possessively if we ever
Teased that orange toy dog or that bunny
All you had to do was look at the door
And we'd know you wanted to go out
You'd yawn and say sorry when you made Amma mad
Some wolf you were.
A lion one moment, a catwhen you washed your face
An armadillo when you sat funny and sphnx-like
With your nose between yourpaws
Lifting your eyebrows every now and then
When you knew we were talking about you
But for all that, that look in your eyes
When you saw a brown stray dog in the distance,
Wondering whether he should bolt before you
Become aware of his existence
They kept their distance.. you walked like a king
You crouched low, like a panther, your body tense
Fur glistening all on end, a lion's mane Achan calls it
Your eyes a study of poorly concealed thrill
When you'd made up your mind
That this was game worth having a little fun with.
Oh, that was all they needed to see
To know who you were.

You were so tiny when we brought you home
How did you get to be so big? I'd only know it
When other people looked at you
Admiringly, a little anxious..
And I'd proudly hug you and play with your tail
Make you lift your paw and shake my hand
Like I was telling them, he's mine.
Thank you... for letting me.

Don't be sad. You are my twelve beautiful years.
You are my first love, my baby
My gentle big brother.. my beautiful dog
Chase the wind, micku.
Squirm away all you want.. I'm not letting you go.