The receptionist
at my veterinarian
came out of the
office and handed me
the last remains of our
14-year-old cat Fluffy
Fluffy was the oldest
of the four pets in our house
Fala The Wonder Dog
The 12-year-old Silky Terrier
Ninja The Stealth Cat
Came into the house 10 years ago
Coco Cream The Wild Kitten
A 3-year-old motion machine
and is missed as a fourth child would be
She had a stomach tumor and
although she had steroid injections
and daily medication
she slowly wasted away
dying at three pounds
It is difficult to lose any pet
and in 43 years of marriage
we have lost many but
collectively this is our best group
Moreover perhaps after 43 years
we may feel our own mortality more
yet we are grateful for the 13 years
with this very sweet cat
John F. McMullen, “johnmac the bard”, is the Poet Laureate of Yorktown, NY, member of the American Academy of Poets and Poets & Writers, author of over 2,500 columns and articles and twelve books, ten of which are collections of poetry), and the host of a weekly Internet Radio Show. www.johnmac13.com.
