Upon the Death of Your Companion

My friends had many animals, and one became very ill before passing from this realm.

They enter our hearts,
as they enter our lives.
We grow as a family,
as well as husbands and wives.
We develop a pattern,
a brotherhood, a union.
Our lives multiply exponentially
with everyday reunion.
But as the years pass,
the companion becomes fragile. . .
The balance is weighed,
the body's not agile.

With great difficulty--
We elect to set them free,
But they'll always be near
In the memory of our hearts.