To Gari (My Pet Cat)

The Rhetoric
You came into my life on a whim
Not knowing whether we could accommodate each other
Out of one, insecurity
but together, a formidable force.
The Christmas tree caper was a jewel--
You huddled there in the branches in silence
Until I saw those innocent eyes--
Laughter filled my cup.

One day you were taken from me
Without my knowledge or consent
Anger engulfed me--
I searched the town over
But you were nowhere to be found
Four days passed as my anger built
I concocted a revenge upon others
Strong enough to shatter opinions
and lifestyles and customs.

Overcoming the Conflict
You had been tossed into a strange world
Without food, or comfort, or a compass
To make of it what you might--
Alone.

But somewhere in the depths of your soul
You understood how to overcome
The false accusations of others
Without fear or knowledge or anger
You followed your instincts in
fulfillment of your purpose,
Across miles of barriers
formidable and foreboding
Until at last with nothing left
in your body but determination
You came back to me
Alone and without help from
Others.

The Poetry
In a joyous reunion
All the anxiety and heartbreak
and anger disappeared
as we celebrated.
Two souls, too complicated
and too incomplete without
each other.
From that moment onward
We were nearly inseparable
We knew each other well.

And then one day much too soon
You came down with an
incurable ailment.
You weathered it bravely
I could only watch as your
muscular body slowly fell
victim to the inevitable.
In my sorrow I did not curse the sky
Nor did I point the finger at others.

Your courage sustained me
Until your very last breath.
Now your pain is lifted
and your life is complete.

This much we both know with certainty
We will be together again
Somehow some place
Laughing and frolicking
to one life well-lived and
to another well-received.

One day I may also understand better
That between the lines of rhetoric
and poetry there exists another dimension...
Some call it love.