- Feb 19, 2000
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My 18-year-old orange tabby cat Garfield died early this morning. Six months ago his elderly friend Midnight passed over the Rainbow Bridge. I wrote a poem about the death of pets, and I will read it aloud as we bury Garfield under the tall trees behind the house.
My Garfield
Creeping, pouncing, bright-eyed with cunning,
He is humbled now by death,
His lithe long body running, running,
Running out of breath.
They are all dead, so many tamewild creatures, yet each night
Out of their backyard graves they come, whole and hale,
And as much mine as they ever were. With secondsight
I see my playful cat, his ambling tail
Flicking from side to side, his whiskers framing
A twitchturned nose, his face lit by flaming
Round eyes like copper buttons on a warm velvet shirt.
Love will not lie forever laden with stone and dirt.
Dear ones all, they asked little, got little, gave much.
(Murmur tickle smile stroke touch)
Ghost pets frolic sadly across my wet, green lawn,
And here on the porch I know
My kitty hears me whisper, low,
And I sense his familiar footfall on the roam
Many backyards away, but always heading home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Goodbye, Garfield. I hope to hear your purr again as I enter heaven.
My Garfield
Creeping, pouncing, bright-eyed with cunning,
He is humbled now by death,
His lithe long body running, running,
Running out of breath.
They are all dead, so many tamewild creatures, yet each night
Out of their backyard graves they come, whole and hale,
And as much mine as they ever were. With secondsight
I see my playful cat, his ambling tail
Flicking from side to side, his whiskers framing
A twitchturned nose, his face lit by flaming
Round eyes like copper buttons on a warm velvet shirt.
Love will not lie forever laden with stone and dirt.
Dear ones all, they asked little, got little, gave much.
(Murmur tickle smile stroke touch)
Ghost pets frolic sadly across my wet, green lawn,
And here on the porch I know
My kitty hears me whisper, low,
And I sense his familiar footfall on the roam
Many backyards away, but always heading home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Goodbye, Garfield. I hope to hear your purr again as I enter heaven.