Clayton at the Rainbow Bridge
This portrait was created in loving memory of Clayton, a gentle Great Dane who recently crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
His photo came to me through my neighbor Judy, whose cousin wanted to honor Clayton’s life with a keepsake that captured his spirit — wise, loyal, and full of quiet love.
The original photograph showed him resting peacefully in the summer light, silver now around his face, surrounded by the green of a well-loved garden. From that single image came the final piece — a soft portrait bathed in warmth, with a rainbow arcing gently behind him.
It felt less like an illustration and more like a moment he wanted remembered: still, proud, and waiting.
There’s a quiet hill beyond the storm,
Where sunlight bends to meet the morn,
And colors weave through open air—
A bridge of love that waits somewhere.
Clayton walks there now, soft and sure,
His paws upon the fields so pure.
No leash, no pain, no weight of years,
Just wind and grass and joy’s first tears.
He turns his head when breezes pass,
As if to hear a familiar laugh,
The sound of hands he used to know,
Still carried in the undertow.
He rests where sky and meadow blend,
Beside the place where rainbows end.
Each hue a memory, softly spun—
The ball he chased, the afternoon sun.
And when the light grows warm and wide,
He’ll lift his gaze, tail open, high—
For love does not forget the way,
It only waits for hearts to stay.
So when his mom and dad come through,
The bridge will bloom with every hue,
And Clayton, whole and bright once more,
Will lead them home across that shore.
Kerry Milauskas
I’m Kerry, the heart behind Kerry’s Keepsakes. I believe every forgotten object carries a story, and with a little care it can become something meaningful again. Guided by memory, magic, and the rhythm of the moon, I create keepsakes that honor the past, celebrate the present, and invite connection.