july garden in pictures

i was there

i don't know
if you knew
i was there
i thought it would be best
i thought it would be easier
for you
if i didn't touch you
if i didn't speak
it had seemed so hard for you earlier
when the end began
so hard for you to let go
my touch
my words of comfort
only solidifying a bond that needed to loosen
and so
i helped you settle your body into a safe and comfortable place
told you to try to sleep
and dream of billy
and then i said no more
and though i desperately wanted to hold you
and stroke your sleek coat
i thought it would be best
i thought it would be easier
for you
if i didn't
so i stayed silent
i stayed still
but close
hoping you remembered me telling you
what a magnificent cat you were
what a dear friend
thanking you for your companionship
telling you
i'll love you
always
hoping you knew
i was there
for you
as i listened to the faint whisper of your last breath
and the silence
as you slipped off into the night

i'm not the only one

i'm not the only one who lost a good friend...

i'm sorry for your loss. 

black jack mcmew

jack passed away of heart failure at home at about 4:00 this morning.  i stayed with him as he passed.  we buried him next to billy in the orchard garden.  he is already deeply missed.  i can't say anymore right now.

thank you, jack, my dear friend, for walking with me, with us, on this journey.  you are a part of me always.  i love you.