My Horse And A Colleague's Daughter's Cat Poem by Diana van den Berg

I was retching hot tears
out of my gut
and heart
and lungs
as I drove home
after hearing of the death
of a colleague’s daughter’s cat.

I had never met
nor heard of
the kitty
before,
but I mourned her catness
with the erupting marrow
of my screaming bones
and a million ragged nerve-endings,
jangling multiple messages
in a cacophony of pain.

I knew
Flicka,
my darling angel horse in Heaven,
would have met her at the gate
(as he does all animals
and certain special people)
and would be showing her around Heaven
and introducing her to everyone
and making her
comfortable
and welcome
and loved,
but I knew also
that he would understand and feel
my need
to make sure
he had found her

and he did
and he comforted me
in ways that
only
he
knows how.

His daily cloud messages to me
today were all about the cat
whose name I didn’t know.
He told me everything
knowing I would want to know
every
tiny
detail –
how well, he knows me -
some clouds were dark and sombre
to honour the passing
of the kitty
from mortal
to immortal life;
others warm-orange bright
to celebrate
the kitty’s years on Earth;
some clouds were happy fluffy ones
with a backdropp of baby-blue
to symbolise the joy awaiting her in her new world;

and on my home-coming stretch
my precious, darling horse
dramatically
flung wide
the curtains of Heaven
and showed me
the golden sunbeam staircase
the kitty trotted up
to a soft cloud
large enough
for her to sit on
(and not be afraid of falling off)
as Flicka opened the gate
with ceremony and welcome,
and behind them, the flaming sun
the symbol of certainty
of the kitty’s safety,
and regained health
and glorious happiness.

Flicka, my darling,
you slowly dried my tears
and I was able to smile,
albeit wanly at first,
knowing that
the kitty-cat
will forever be
in your loving care
and one of your
many much loved friends.

How on earth can I thank you?

14 August 2009