poetry doesn't often make me cry, if ever, but i picked this up after my fifteen year old dog passed away, and god did this collection make me cry like i never had before. the way mary oliver writes about relationships with animals is incredible. you can tell she sees her dogs not as dogs, but as friends - an extension to herself. they are people who aren't people, and her fondness leaks through the pages. her love for her lost animals does not go unnoticed, and even if you've never owned a dog, you can't help but feel her pain. when i was reading this, i told myself i wouldn't cry, and i kept true to my word. until the last poem. i swear to god it destroyed me. i think it was about three pages, but i couldn't see through my tears to finish reading. i love mary oliver, and i love that she makes me feel so much.