it sits
atop the bench
by our garden wall
just where she left it
our cat Taja
hides inside at play
pokes up his furry head
to look my way
he knows
it is her can
he waits every day
for his mistress
to tenderly pat his head
to reach her gentle hand
and lift her can
how many lilies
has it nourished
how many daisies
lilacs
roses
how many morning glories
it dispenses
its life giving waters
so gracefully in her hand
a delicate hand
gentle in its loving touch
gentle in its task
of planting
gentle in its tend
but rugged on any weeds
threatening her garden
she
the giver of life
the guardian
of her realm
but she could not stop
all that threatened
and I had not
her gift of giving life
and so it rests
atop the bench
just where she left it
no longer is it lifted
by her tender nurturing hand
that hand now
is still
rob kistner © 2019
dVerse Poetics: On All Things Feline!
Ah, so sad. I hope it is fiction.
I love the name of your dog Edgrrrr.
It is fiction Judy, compiled from fragments of experiences and impressions garnered in my nearly 73 years on spaceship earth. When I write about actual, specific events, I supply a backstory — to elevate clarity. Edgrrr, I am quite certain, is a gentle, loving, “laid-back” extraterrestrial, from the planet Woodstock! He is one groovy dogg. 🙂 I love him madly!
powerfully evocative … the love and grief are well conveyed!
Thank you Kate!
Heartrending and the clincher is the picture at the end.
Pleased this resonated for you Lisa.
AH! So emotive with its unfolding torrent of images — I really like your character sketch. The ‘g-words’ are so well done too. 🙂
Thank you Anmol. I felt they made for a gentler sorrow.
A beautiful nostalgic piece, Rob. Your words have a softness to them, much like the cat!
Thank you Dwight. I was going for a gentler, quieter, softer sorrow.
The story of the lady and her cat…. one to be left behind… touching
Usually it is the cat leaves the lady Björn, so I flipped the script…
So tender.
Thank you Kerfe!
Heart breaking story, Rob, beautifully told!
Thank you Jim.
There’s so much life within the still moments you’ve captured here. This is a compelling meditation on loss.
Thank you Barry, for your attention to the heart of this piece.