In Memory of Alister
You started out unwanted,
They passed you all around,
No one wanted to keep you,
Not even the duty-bound.
Your owner couldn’t keep you,
The reason turned out to be,
Only an excuse not to care for you,
Then she brought you to me.
She said it was only temporary,
And much to my dismay,
Instead of taking you to her father,
She packed up and moved away.
“Oh, what am I to do with you?”
“I cannot be your mother,”
“I’m having trouble taking care of myself,”
“I can’t look after another.”
You gave me a look that said to me,
“Oh what am I to do?”
Those big gold eyes pleading with me,
“You can’t abandon me too!”
While gazing into your beautiful eyes,
I made a promise to take care of you,
And started a brand new life as a mommy,
What else was I to do?
Although some said I shouldn’t keep you,
Desertion I could not allow,
Hence, I became a fur baby’s mom,
I had given my vow.
I began to fall in love with …,
Your orange striped coat of the softest fur,
Your short little tail, your one wonky whisker,
And that engine for a purr.
We had to get used to each other’s habits,
You sure were an odd cat I thought,
You would drink from the toilet easy enough,
But not from the dish that I bought.
Raspberry yogurt, sour cream and onion chips,
Catnip, newspaper and shoestrings,
The water from a can of tuna, spaghetti,
These were a few of your favorite things.
I pledged that I would change your world,
That I would love and cherish you,
You in turn, were always there for me,
Whenever I was sick or feeling blue.
When I brought home baby Autumn,
You welcomed her without persuasion,
You even allowed her to “nurse”,
But only on one occasion.
12 years and 6 months later,
My how the time does fly,
Even before you realize it,
It was time to say good-bye.
Were you trying to tell me your time had come,
When you refused to drink or eat?
I thought if I could love you enough,
This sickness you could beat.
After 3 long months of patient care,
I no longer could deny,
Though such a tough decision,
We had to say goodbye.
Our remaining time was filled with lasts,
Last time I carried you to bed,
Last time I tucked you in,
Last time I kissed your silky head.
I’m sending you, precious, away on a journey,
To a place where I cannot go,
A place of eternal sleep and peace,
That only you can know.
I tried to give you comfort,
By gently rubbing your ears,
Softly saying, “It’s okay,”
Knowing the end was near.
As the vet tends to his business,
I quietly tell you, “It’s all right,”
Then as you take your last breath,
I pick you up, and hold you tight.
I learned when you open your home to a pet,
You cannot fully comprehend,
That you also open your heart to love,
And welcome a cat, companion and friend.
If God takes note of a sparrow’s fall,
Then it’s true He must have cried,
At least a hundred thousand tears,
That November day you died.
I know I’ll never forget my fur baby,
Our love will never depart,
Because my darling Alister,
Your paw prints are on my heart.
Mommy will love you always and forever,
| Alister |
| 1, Nov 2005 |
| Esther Trozzi |