Shakespeare was our baby and we loved him to infinity. He had the personality of a human and often said “Mom”. He met me at the door every evening, woke me almost every morning, followed me everywhere and kept me company at what ever I was doing…he was always nearby. He loved to go outside in the summertime, hated snow, loved chasing things,especially mice, and was particularly proud of one he caught in the house just a couple months ago. He woke me at 4:00 a.m. and beaconed me down stairs to show me.
He loved his Temptations treats and tuna, hated it when we went away and would meow for hours when we returned after leaving him overnight. Slept on the bed next to me, on me, or cuddling me and if I ignored the alarm he’d walk across the pillow and knock things on the floor until I got up.
He loved his sack of catnip and stuffed vet toys and one of his favorite games was “fishing for pussycats” which we played with a piece of ribbon tied to the end of a fishing pole which he would chase about and quickly catch.
The poem “Funeral Blues” by W.H. Auden says it all…
Funeral Blues
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever; I was wrong.
The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood,
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
W. H. Auden
Most of all, he was loved and he knew it.
Shakespeare, I still hear you, see you and talk to you. I will always and forever love you and I will never forget you.
“For every day he was his Mommy’s boy and Mommy loves him all the time”.
Love always and every day
| Shakespeare |
| 23, Nov 2003 |
| Brenda Harding |