A pool of shadow
A black shirt,
puddled on the floor
Is it him?

Creeping around corners
Yowling up stairs
Heat seeker
     A patch of sun
     A roaring fire
     A warm lap (at the least convenient time)

No more
Nevermore

Gentle spirit
Demanding voice
A presence to fill a room
Emanating
from such a small body

No more
Nevermore

Always up for an adventure
New places to explore
The cat that makes a house
a home

No more
Nevermore

Purring soundtrack
Loving bites
Steady, everlasting love

Singing the song of your people
Heard only in memory,
Beloved

In the depths of my despair, when all seemed doomed,
A furry companion entered my life, a gift bloomed.
Rocket, a cat with eyes that shone like stars,
Became the beacon that guided me through life's wars.

I had lost all hope, my soul weighed down by sorrow,
Drowning in a sea of darkness with no glimpse of tomorrow.
But this feline friend, with his playful antics and gentle purr,
Slowly began to mend the wounds that time could not deter.

Rocket, with his boundless energy and infectious cheer,
Reminded me that life was worth living, that joy was near.
He would prance and leap, chasing imaginary prey,
Bringing laughter and levity to even the gloomiest day.

As I watched him explore the world with such unbridled delight,
I found myself drawn back to the simple pleasures once out of sight.
The way he would curl up beside me, offering warmth and solace,
Soothed my troubled mind and allowed my heart to find its place.

With Rocket's unwavering loyalty and unconditional love,
I discovered a strength I had long forgotten, a light from above.
He became my constant companion, my faithful friend,
A reminder that even in the darkest of times, hope can transcend.

Through the gentle touch of his paw, the nuzzle of his nose,
Rocket showed me that life's journey is not meant to be one of woes.
He taught me to embrace the present, to savor each moment with glee,
For, in the end, it is the small joys that truly set our spirits free.

As I look back on the days when Rocket came into my life,
I am filled with a profound gratitude, a sense of renewed strife.
For this feline savior, with his unwavering spirit and grace,
Has forever etched his paw prints upon my heart's sacred space.

Rocket, my dear friend, my reason to live and to thrive,
Your presence has ignited a flame within me, a will to survive.
Through your unwavering love and steadfast companionship,
You have restored my hope and set my soul on a new, brighter trip.

My father, almost shaken by the thought
of handling a dead body,
my mother voices disbelief,
saying she could not have done what I did.

I told them I had placed
the body inside a sack,
tied it with straw—
I told them of the stiffness,
the dull eyes, and the open mouth.

But I didn’t tell them I had stroked her neck,
like I did when she was a puppy,
closed her mouth, her eyes—
a prayer, a gesture to make her whole again.
I didn’t tell them the ritual
of care, small and sacred,
the tenderness that lingered
in her rigid, cold form.

I didn’t tell them what I was thinking,
what that silence did to me—
the emptiness of it,
what it had done to my mind.

Pet sitter from Saturn
Notices the pattern
Of floating rocks
Round kitty socks
And counts them as they go-

In twilight’s hush the sitter comes
With gentle hands, she greets the hum
Of furry hearts, once bright and bold,
Now singing softly stories told.

Interstellar, deep, where memories cling,
She feels the pulse of everything.
A wagging tail, a purring sigh,
The warmth of love as moments fly.

But time, that thief, it creeps and steals.
Now all that’s left are tender feels.
The blankets kneaded and graveyard heeded
And the sitter is left defeated
In the ash of the life she now chided.

The person I was is slowly fading
I tell no one, so no one can be aiding

My mind shatters like an atom smasher
My heart and breathing are going faster

Take a pill and make it better
Or sit right down and write a letter

What I say is written in a panic
I feel me stepping up to manic

He’s so upset, and his eyes say
“Did you have a really bad day?”

Toys are brought, 3 in all
“Grandma will you throw the ball?”

“Playing fetch will make you happy.”
I know. the dog is very sappy

I cannot ignore the plea
It’s the eyes, it gets to me

So outside we go to play
You KNOW, I feel better today

'though time was brief—your light was vast
your presence lingers; your memory stays
in the warmth of my hand, where I brushed you off my fingers

in the softest light of fading days,
unconditional, unexpected, true,
grief may weigh, but love won’t bend

pay me a visit through my dreams
play with me as I will feed you your favorite treats
tell me about the rainbow bridge

a love unplanned, in fur and bones
you have brought us so much joy
Yet in the silence, sometimes I would hear your bell as you walked by

When you died, you died too soon.
You died one year ago this afternoon.
A vet tried to save you with a blood transfusion but you died anyway.
You died and my heart was broken one year ago today.

I bought you in 2017 and you were only six years old when you died.
If a person ever says that I didn't love you, that person will have lied.
Some Chihuahuas are hateful but you were not.
You were one of the best things I've ever bought.

I took you to two vets but your life still came to an end.
You weren't just a dog, you were also a wonderful friend.
I have something to say and it is 100 percent true.
You were a very special dog and I'll always love you.

I didn't expect my black Cocker Spaniel to die.
He died 30 years ago today on the 14th of July.
He was born in 1981 and Poochie was his name.
He was killed by a car and it was a **** shame.
Poochie was unfriendly at times and sometimes he would bite.
But he was my dog and when that car killed him, it wasn't right.
It was sad because my dog couldn't live anymore.
He died thirty years ago on July the 14th of 1994.

In the dimly lit chamber, we set the scene.
An owner and his pet, a game of primal and prey.
She kneels like an eager dog, a collar around her neck.
He stomps his feet and keeps her obedience at play.

The owner, like a magician, keeps tricks up his sleeve.
He wants his pet to learn— to be his student and please.
Commanding her to crawl, to fetch and beg.
Waiting for him to call her a good little pet.

She barks and whimpers, a puppy in passion.
Spins three times and licks her master’s feet without a whine.
The pet surrenders to her master’s might.
She delivers his sturdy leather boots in a straight line.

With a flick of the whip, the pet curls in elation.
Her master chuckles at her sounds of temptation.
Submitting to the cynicism of ******* and discipline.
She is flogged like a plebeian, forgetting she’s a citizen.

Pet and master, a bond so strong.
The two are bound by zeal, craving one another.
She wallows in the comfort of her belly rubs and treats.
And runs around with a rush of red in color.

She goes through treacherous training.
And yelps if she’s ever caught complaining.
Waiting for a tasteful gift: the eternity collar.
When she is ready, he puts it on with honor.