You were my protector in life

 You were my protector in life.

My shadow that followed me room to room.
My comfort when the nights grew long.

Now, the house feels empty.
No paws at the door.
No weight at my feet.
But still, I feel you.

In the silence, your presence lingers.
In the corner of my eye, I catch a flicker of your shape.
When fear creeps in, peace washes over me—
as if you’re still here, standing guard.

Maybe that’s what love becomes when breath is gone.
Not absence. Not nothingness.
But a shadow that still protects.

I know you wait for me at the Rainbow Bridge,
but I also know you walk with me still—
in ways the world cannot see,
but my heart always knows.

Because love this strong never leaves.
It simply shifts into light,
into comfort,
into shadows that still protect.