My Sweet Sunny Girl entered my life 9.9.2001 and departed 3.24.2016, taking a large part of my heart with her. Rest well, dear one, and watch for me...

She's the dowager queen
Of my small household
Holding court from her
Orthopedic bed
(When she isn't sleeping).
Her once fiery red coat
With its sparkling white trim
Has grown almost tan with gray,
And she is missing all but three
Of her back teeth;
At seventeen I know
Her days are numbered
And I wonder if she knows it...
Arthritis makes it as hard
For her to rise
As it does myself,
And she sometimes seems confused
About where or why she is--
Again, like myself;
But now I suspect
She is reliving her salad days
As her ancient legs move
In a rhythm she has long since lost,
No doubt chasing a rabbit
Or even a bird on its wing,
Tongue lolling like Jordan
Going for a layup;
My Sweet Sunny Girl,
Long in Her Majesty Copper's shadow,
Claimed the throne
With Copper's passing,
And she has reigned
Beloved by me,
And her army of cats.
I wonder who
Will succeed her?
And then I concede
Not even me.

c. March 2016