He showed up one day
Nearly ten years ago
A tiny kitten
All ears and orange eyes
Peering up at me
Through
The kitchen door window,
And when I let him in
He sauntered by,
Making himself at home
Among the dogs
And other cats
As if he'd always
Belonged.
From the first
He was his own feline
With his own laid back ideas
About what his life
Would be like;
He refused to be confined
To either
The great outdoors
Or the comforts
And safety
Of the house inside
And moved easily from one
To the other
With a minimum of fuss.
He was exceptionally easy to live with,
A quiet, undemanding cat
In voice and demeanor
But very choosy about whom
He would associate with.
It seems strange
Not to have him underfoot
At feeding time
Or to be letting him in and out
A thousand times a day.
We will miss you,
Our "Spotted Kit-tay,"
Good-bye and farewell,
Good friend.