Wind soft golden cat
Clear color of soothing swaying hay
Rainbow striped feline friend
Your love shouldered too large
A piece of my burden
And heavy on your tiny
Sacred cat bones
Cost you your life.
A breath of fresh air
And you ran sprouting
Leaps of happiness.
My fault
Your overlooked fear
That it was unsafe to close your eyes
For even a moment.
I know the moment
Danger struck you down
Into mother earth’s rich earth
No street corner gutter
No gawking boys were near
Thought still my fault
You died.
For me
You died for me
And have taught me
Caution
Abandon
And a lot
About
Love.
© Susan Lynn Gesmer, The Cat Poems, 1980