Ode to Kaylon


My beloved Kaylon Joseph. He and I found each other while I was still living in North Carolina and attending UNC-Asheville. He was approximately 6 months old when I found him and he was by best friend until September 8, 1997 when he had to leave my side. He was a very special creature and will always hold a very special place in my heart. I wrote the following after he passed away.

Candle in the Wind

A tribute Kaylon - beloved pet companion and friend

1985 - September 8, 1997

Goodbye Kaylon Joe;
you are forever in our hearts.
You were such a shining God-send
I knew from the very start.
You were such a gentle spirit
and you still loved through all the pain.
Now you belong to heaven,
yet my soul stills calls your name.

And it seems to me you lived your life
like a candle in the wind:
never fading with the sunset
when the rain set in.
And your footsteps shall always run there,
through Carolina’s streams and hills;
your candle’s burned our long before
your spirit ever will.

Goodness we have lost;
these empty days without your smile.
Happiness, pure love unspoken
shown brightly in your eyes.
And even though we try,
all our words cannot express
the joy you brought us through the years.

And it seems to me you lived you life
like a candle in the wind:
never fading with the sunset
when the rain set in.
And your footsteps shall always run there,
through Carolina’s streams and hills;
your candle’s burned our long before
your spirit ever will.

Goodbye Kaylon Joe,
from all those who will miss your special soul,
who’ll miss your love and companionship
more than you’ll ever know.