Sunday, May 15, 2011

Author John Hohn Shares Loss of Friend With Us...

1 Lazy persian catImage by Magnus BrĂ¥th via Flickr

Eulogy for Nickie

My wife knew why
I walked over to the chair
By the dining room window
That faced the morning sun.
“I brushed away all the hair from the seat,”
She said.
So gone
Was any trace
Of your final, enfeebled days.
We could lay aside our concerns
About your deafness –
You watched our shoes
Whenever we approached --
And how your eyes teared,
Pupils wide in daylight
Like curtains pulled aside
On a vacant room.
You were content
Only when we held you
Swaddled,
Or when you napped
On the needle point cushion
Of the sunny chair--
Your handsome Persian profile
Calling to mind your vigorous days
Among the leaves
In a back yard wind,
Or nestled
At the base of the embracing oak


When days passed without a scolding
For our tardiness with your dish,
We knew
You were only wandering out a reluctance--
So many soft, careful steps--
As if to let us know,
You, too, felt the burden,
Impending departures always bring,
Of leaving us to ourselves alone--
And of the grief that would seep
Into simple daily tasks
In a home
Echoing with raw fresh emptiness
.
It was the right thing to do,
We both knew,
And when she returned,
From the Vet’s,
My wife looked me right in the eye
And said, “I can still feel his warmth
On the bottom of the box.”
I took the carton from her,
Accepting the last of your dearness
Faintly into my palms,
And I bowed down over you
Clenching my grief
In my teeth.


John J. Hohn
April 1, 2007

Author: Deadly Portfolio: A Killing in Hedge Funds

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3 comments:

  1. The loss of a pet is a very difficult time for many people. Some people say they grieved more over the death of a pet than they did the death of their parents or over a divorcee. I know of a woman who still cried twelve years after the her pet had died. People who connect with a pet at a deep level and describe him as a soul mate, often grieve the most.

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  2. Harley, you are sooooo right! For me, I'll go even a little further, I think there are certain animals that create that relationship...because each has a unique personality. I have had many cats over the years, but the truly special relationships only came with a very few...

    I appreciate your thoughts...
    Glenda

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