![\"Dis](\"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Dis-My-Riska_1-206x300.jpg\")
<\/p>\nYou never won any titles, but you irrevocably won my heart.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
You ruled your Canine peers like a Queen-<\/p>\n
Your authority was absolute and uncontested,<\/p>\n
Your doggy bark-talk was soft but firm\u2026<\/p>\n
Your deeply seated unwavering maternal instinct<\/p>\n
Ensured the safety of your babies with utter confidence\u2026<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“Siegerin”, “Grand Victrix” or “Champion”<\/p>\n
Would never form a part of you pedigree<\/p>\n
But in my heart that seat always belongs to you.<\/p>\n
You will always be \u201cRiska\u201d – My OWN little \u201cSiegerin\u201d<\/p>\n
Riska \u2013 uncontestably \u201cChampion\u2026<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
When you walked into the ring you were proud \u2013<\/p>\n
Self-confident, like an Africa Princess<\/p>\n
Blue blood flowed warm through your veins<\/p>\n
Your muscles were supple and perfect<\/p>\n
A burning fire glowed in your eyes<\/p>\n
And inner strength showed off<\/p>\n
Your noble character that flashed from your being<\/p>\n
With open pride and skilfully toned beauty<\/p>\n
Nobody and nothing could ever extinguish<\/p>\n
The flame within you\u2026<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nothing…<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u2026except that which was latent in your genes<\/p>\n
Even before you were born\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2026which lay cold and evil,<\/p>\n
Waiting to steal exactly that which you exalted<\/p>\n
With each breath, sound and movement\u2026<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u2026your life\u2026<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Had I but known but beforehand\u2026<\/p>\n
Perhaps then you would have stood a chance\u2026<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Who would have thought that this hour of hellish brokenness,<\/p>\n
This moment of brutal separation,<\/p>\n
Would come so quick and sudden,<\/p>\n
So black and oh so lonely?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Why did the cruel cancer had to choose you?<\/p>\n
You were but 8 years old\u2026<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Why did it have to be your clear brown eyes,<\/p>\n
Always burning with fire and self-confidence,<\/p>\n
That so suddenly turned dull and lifeless?<\/p>\n
Why your beautiful head that suddenly<\/p>\n
Came to rest against my shoulder?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Why did I, whom you have trusted above all else<\/p>\n
Have to be the one that ultimately betrayed you?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Why me? Why you\u2026 my Riska?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Antoinette LeRoux \u00a9 2016<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
My Riska (1990 – 1998)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
You never won any titles, but you irrevocably won my heart. You ruled your Canine peers like a Queen- Your authority was absolute and uncontested, Your doggy bark-talk was soft but firm\u2026 Your deeply seated unwavering maternal instinct Ensured the safety of your babies…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":259,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-miscellaneous"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/259"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27968"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27968\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28504,"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27968\/revisions\/28504"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}