This is a poem I wrote years ago…and have rewritten several times for dear friends when they have lost a beloved pet.
Last week another beloved and furry little face turned its sweet muzzle toward that secret pet door in the Pearly Gates…where I expect Saint Francis is chief of the welcoming committee. I’ve heard people say – and so have you – that pets are “just like family.” This is not at all true……they’re not like family, they are family.
In any case, before you dig into your kibble at supper tonight, paws… and raise a glass to the honor of Patch Florance, one of the Great Kitty-cats of the Western World, a beloved companion, who will be missed until that great reunion yet to come!
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Patch
As kittens,
They come make a home in our hearts,
Until that sad time when loss rips us apart.
We know they will leave us for places unknown,
When their sweet gentle spirits one day will have flown.
But, first, they invade both our homes and our lives,
Inserting themselves between husbands and wives…
They commandeer space in our homes and our beds.
They steal our soft hearts and make mush of our heads.
We teach them to know quite a regal existence,
And then we’re appalled when they beg with persistence…
For just one more cuddle, a toy or a treat,
Or their right to a share of whatever we eat.
Our children are happy, because they’re around,
And no better playmates could ever be found,
For every good pet needs its own little boy,
Or girl, to complete its abundance of joy.
They live where we live and they’re always on guard;
They keep a sharp eye on those too near the yard.
We’re wrecks when we leave them, there’s great aggravation:
Then when we return, there is true jubilation.
It’s “Fourth of July” and there’s nothing to lack:
“I don’t know where you’ve been,
But I’m sure glad you’re back!!!”
Yet, time rolls along with it’s triumphs and strife:
We almost forget there’s a cycle to life….
And so, we must savor each moment because….
The years take their toll…
Father Time always does.
They grow a bit slower, as each year takes flight;
We try to ignore that their eyes aren’t as bright….
Their dear little lives are so painfully brief,
Our zeal to hang on may postpone future grief;
But, they know their purpose far better than we,
To be our companions both noble and free.
Unconditional love and unlimited smiles
Are ours as they join us for just a few miles
On the journey of life where we all plod along.
Then their time is up, and they have to move on.
With a satisfied sigh, a dear critter departs,
Hoping there’s now enough room in our hearts,
An empty, an achingly raw bit of space,
That can only be filled by a new fuzzy face.
For all through the world, one correctly supposes,
Wait soft little kitties with pink velvet noses.
Someday, down the road,
You’ll be smitten and then…
Sweet cycles of love start all over again.
Our pets come and go, and they leave us bereft,
Could it be just because they don’t wish to be left?
So, Patch has now flown, as she must to the sky;
Yet her soft little spirit still lingers close by….
Though sadness and grief will remain quite a while,
You’ll think of the gift of her love……
And you’ll smile.
R.I.P.
The Q.O.E.