Requiem for a Muse

Boots is a cat
A rare breed
Almost human

He's been with me
  for nearly five years
And he's dying
A virus, a respiratory
    infection, the vet thought
He's been getting worse
  for weeks
He is my friend, my
         child
My pal
Through hell and more
              hell... he's always there
And when I surfaced,
     finally 
And life was worth
    living, again
He was still there
A pal

I don't have an epitaph
Except in my mind
A million memories
     of a big bold brat
In many ways --
              like me
And with his passing
It seems my life 
    will change
It won't be the same
    without that guy
Good-bye my special
   pal
Good-bye angel Boots

Boots has Gone

Boots went away 
tonight 
He's suffered for weeks 
Hanging in there 
I'd call his name 
And he'd call back 
It hurt him to do that 
It was a virus the 
vet said 
And we persevered 
Then tonight he was in 
terrible agony 
And I took him back 
It was cancer 
of the kidneys 
And it spread -- to 
his central nervous 
system 

Poor guy was only 
four or so 
He had been with me 
through thick 
and thicker 
Hell and back 
Always near me 
On my lap 
At my feet 
On the bed 
Checking out the 
guests 
Chewing their hair 
Approving, disapproving 
Quite a guy 

Well tonight he 
got an injection 
And as I stroked 
his head 
He was gone 


I brought him home 
and buried him 
Planted that Secret rose 
Over him 
It's a very special rose 
Very beautiful 

At the vets 
I cried a lot 
Unashamedly 
And the assistant 
gave me some tissues 
She said how sorry she was 
It won't be the same 
without old Boots 
He was a very 
special friend 
And I'll miss him 
a lot 
And I'll shed a 
few more tears, too 
A friend like Boots 
is very rare . . . 

Photographs and Poems Copyright 1999 by Michael David Coffey