But though I mourn, I'm grateful I was chosen,
To take the love and loyalty she gave.

But with her lies my broken heart.

Joy and woe may life entwine,
But love outlasts the sands of time.
I love you Missy and I always will. I hope that I let you know just how much you meant to me and that I never caused you to doubt or want for anything. You mean the world to me and daddy and Gizmo and you always will. We will never forget you and will think of you everyday. I hope that you will be happy and find comfort until we meet again. I love you Missy.

DESDEMONA'S PRAYER TO BAST.
As I lay me down to sleep
I pray to Bast my soul to keep,
And should I die before I wake,
I pray to Bast my soul to take,
And transport it to the sandy lands
Where my forbears worshipped were,
Where my ancient kin were much revered
And where the cat first learned to purr.

As I pad on velvet feet
I pray Bast will give me mice to eat,
And as I use my litter tray
I ask that she will find me play,
In her bright heaven where all cats,
Are stroked by Bast's most blessed hands,
And bask and gambol in her care,
Remembering Egypt's ancient sands.

As I knead upon your knees,
I hope that Bast is greatly pleased
To see her child at rest and play,
Fed and cared for every day,
And when I reach that glorious place
And gaze upon her feline face,
I'll ask that Bast will grant you grace
To join me in eternal play.

DESDEMONA'S FAREWELL TO EARTH

Farewell familiar Earth, I am no longer prone
To Earthly gravity which weighs down frail flesh and bone;
My soul is lighter than the feather which on the scales of justice lies,
And now I dance on sunbeams beyond Earth's cloud-studded azure skies.

A far more sad farewell I bid to those who loved me well,
For while I dance light-pawed in paradise, my absence brings them hell,
Do not prolong your sadness, for I know that ere too long we'll meet again,
And you can rest assured that I'm gone far beyond all suffering or pain.

Do not feel guilty, or think that I have felt betrayed,
Because you had to lend a helping had to ease me towards my grave,
And do not feel that you betray me when you take a new cat to your heart,
You will need mortal feline company to fill the time while we remain apart.

Farewell familiar Earth, I am no longer prone,
To the pain of age, and cancers which in my flesh had grown,
Now I dance on sunbeams beyond those broad cerulean skies,
And betimes I will gaze down upon you, with gentle, loving, emerald eyes.

DESDEMONA REORGANISES PURRADISE TO HER LIKING
In purradise shall I decree
A stately castle built for me,
Where plump and juicy mice will crawl,
And cower 'neath my velvet paw.
A cat-bed, four-poster in design,
Stuffed with swansdown shall be mine
With catnip scented pillows laid
Whereon to rest my feline head.

Foamy whiteness, creamy sweet,
Shall fill the bowl wherefrom I eat,
And meats laid upon a silver tray,
Shall be presented through the day -
With breast of pheasant, tongue of lark,
Laid before me should I ask,
All washed down with catnip wine,
If I but ask, it shall be mine.

No litter tray my rump demeans,
However scented, though so clean,
But golden sands and honest earth,
So my paws shall dig fresh dirt,
A screen of grasses shall provide
A private place for me to hide
When to my toilet I attend,
In these fields Elysian.

Birds shall fly away no more,
But perch upon my upraised paw,
Until I grow tired of their song,
And in one bite they shall be gone.
And fish and mice shall give me play,
Should I desire the hunt or chase,
Before I settle down replete
With all the fancies I would eat.

In purradise shall I decree
A stately castle built for me.

FAREWELL TO DESDEMONA
Summer sun slants gold across the garden,
The smell of roses carries on the breeze,
Desdemona lies a-doze upon the warm grass,
Too tired to chase the butterflies and bees;
Her fur is glowing golden in the bright rays,
Her ears alert to birdsong in the trees,
The year is drawing closer now to autumn,
Desdemona, on the summer lawn, now takes her ease.

Autumn leaves are falling, red and golden,
To lie like a russet carpet on the ground,
But Desdemona is no longer there to chase them,
As autumn's breezes make them dance around;
She lies snug beneath that summer lawn,
At rest, asleep forever in the ground,
For her, this year there is no glowing autumn,
For me, the leaves are crimson like a wound.

Now winter frosts and snows bejewel the garden,
It is a winter we must spend apart,
The snow lies thick and white, a frigid carpet,
And icicles are daggers in my heart.
Desdemona now knows not of winter,
For her the summer never reached an end,
She now lies in the earth and in my memory,
Waiting for the day we meet again.

DESDEMONA'S LEGACY
I bequeath my favorite cat bed
To the cat who comes after me,
I sleep now in a bed of clouds,
Softer than earthly fleece.

To the cats who follow after,
I bequeath my favorite toys,
My beat up mouse, my feather wand,
The things that gave me joy.

To the cats who follow in my wake,
I leave my bowl and dish,
And hope that they'll be ever-full
Of milk and meat and fish.

To the cats who tread my paw-prints
In your many years to come,
I leave my secret hideaways
And my places in the sun.

I know that there'll be others,
And to them I now bequeath,
The cuddles, strokes and kind words,
This is my legacy.

I know it won't be right away,
The wound in your heart is raw,
But I'm certain there'll be others
To follow in my paws.

THE DESDEMONATA
My years on earth were years I merely borrowed;
My passage to the glory lands bring to me no sorrow,
You give me comfort at the last,
So help me take the sunlit path,
And while I bathe forever in eternal light in Purradise,
I'll always be a kitten in your heart.

My time on earth is nearly done my friend,
I ask one final thing -
Procure for me a gentle, painless end.

My body was so tired as I bathed in summer scents,
At the final curtain's falling, the approach of welcome death I sensed,
In death my body looks as though I simply sleep,
I am at peace. I have no pain.
In astral flesh I'm whole again.
But who will hold YOU while YOU weep?

THE LAST ACT OF COMPASSION
She lies there gently breathing,
And she'd like for you to know,
That she's reached the final crisis
And it's time for her to go.

She needs a little help now,
To ease her from this life,
There's nothing left but suffering,
You can see it in her eyes.

The vet has got the answer,
To end her pain and fear,
That last act of compassion,
For a friend you love so dear.

So save her from those last days,
She deserves a final peace,
It's a mercy, not betrayal,
To ease her into sleep.

I know your heart is broken,
Though the pain, in time, will ease,
And at Heaven's gates she's waiting,
On the threshold of a dream.

THE CAT BED IN THE SKY
I thought that you might like to know I got here safe and sound
Though you must feel rather strange not having me around;
Of course, I am not really gone, I've just moved out of sight,
And I don't need that old body, things had stopped working right.
Sometimes I'm sorely tempted, to pop back down and see,
Just how you are managing, without any help from me,
But I'm sure that you will understand I can't come back to stay,
Though I have it on good authority that we'll meet again some day.

The chow up here's delicious - Ambrosia brand, it's named,
Once you've tasted this stuff, Friskies won't taste the same,
And where do they get this nectar, which thick and creamy comes,
It's not like other dairy products cos it don't give me the runs.
I haven't found the litter tray, and THIS perplexes me,
That however much I wolf down, I never have to pee.
But there are other plus points, which cannot be ignored,
My claws have all come back again and there are drapes here to be clawed.

Another little oddity, that leaves me quite astounded,
Underneath my tail end are two lumps, furry and rounded -
I can't remember having them, when I lived down there with you,
And up here, all I can say - I've not sussed out their use.
Oh yes - I've got a comfy bed, just like mine down there at home,
So things here are quite adequate, I cannot gripe or groan;
But while I'm up here waiting, in my cat bed in the sky,
I'll regularly look in on you, and keep a watchful eye.

PAW-PRINTS
Paw-prints in the sands of time,
Tracks along an empty beach,
Towards a fate which is not mine,
A destiny out of my reach.

You've gone where I will some day follow,
But for now you're out of sight,
Your years with me was time just borrowed,
Before you returned to heaven's light.

No longer in my sight, you vanished,
Through the veil of time and space,
In my memory you are cherished,
Ambassador of feline race.

Time and tides sweep clean your paw-marks,
Another's paws will tread anew,
But you carved paw-prints in my own heart,
Eternal love-prints, etched by you.

One day I'll see your paw-prints glowing,
Sparkling in the morning dew,
Guiding me at my time of going,
Leading me sunwards, back to you.

MITZI
Dear little friend, you were always there,
Running to greet me at the end of the longest days,
Sharing life's triumphs and despairs ....
And all the in-betweens.
Happy or sad, you accepted me just the same.
With you I didn't have to pretend to be, or feel
Anything but just me ...

Constancy, serenity, comfort, laughter, joy,
You brought them all - but until now, no tears ...
And asked so little in return.

Little friend, where are you now, why did you have to go?
What will fill this void which now instead of you is here?

Dearest little friend, thank you
For sharing your life and love with me.

SONG FOR SMOKY
The empty cat bed in the corner,
Abandoned toys beneath the chair,
Unopened cans still in the cupboard,
Hard to believe that you're not there.

No muddy pawprints on the counters,
No furballs sicked up on the stair,
No purring shape upon my pillow,
Hard to believe that you're not there.

The grassy mound there in the garden,
The absence of your soothing purr,
I still look round, still half-expecting,
To see your form, but you're not there.

A trick of light, a sudden shadow,
A moving curtain, draft of air,
A glimpse of shape at edge of vision,
Still can't believe that you're not there.

One day there'll be another feline,
To accept this love I need to share,
But the cat bed lies awhile, abandoned,
For now, it's hard that you're not there.

ONE DAY
One day
I knew you would have to leave us as I watched you growing old,
But swept the thought from my mind like autumn leaves upon the path.
Now, as l look at your photograph, your body cold as the frame, my heart is full,
Sad, yet calm, memories a sweet balm.

Every room contains your presence, each passing hour, too,
Elegant form washing, cosily curled, sleeping,
A soft pad touching my cheek to tell me morning is here,
Face bright, nose pink, as you danced across the virgin frost to breakfast eagerly eaten.

I hear the ‘snap’ of your puss flap, the ‘chirrup’ of your greeting as our keys turn in the lock,
Your deep ‘purr’ of pleasure as you nestle on my lap,
Your ‘tapping and scrabbling’ as you play in battles mock.
These memories, and more, proud lad, will sustain me until I feel your soft pad upon my cheek,

l’m sure,
One day.

REQUEST
In the land of no goodbyes,
Where my Pinky now resides,
Let there be a place for me,
Where my love again I'll see.

Walk with her the paths of home,
In that eternal timeless zone,
Watch her gambol on the lawn,
Greet me eagerly at dawn.

When it's solace that I seek,
Extend a paw and pat my cheek,
Joy and woe may life entwine,
But love outlasts the sands of time.