SIDNEY VICIOUS September 30, 2009
"I love my cats because I love my home, and little by little
they become its visible soul."- Jean Cocteau
SUDDENLY
Suddenly we have
An old cat among us.
When moments before
He'd boldly outrun us.
His coat, still black,
Sharply ruffles his spine.
His head, still sleek
Nods in elderly time.
Habits he fell to
That entertained us
We search for now
To soothe and sustain us.
When did he age
So irrevocably?
What have we missed,
What didn’t we see?
Suddenly he’s gone
And we choose to remember
Bright eyes and heartbeats of
Seventeen Septembers.
16 comments:
Oh Linda, this is a beautiful hommage, precious nuanced portrait and this great poem...
And I like the Cocteau idea that cats become the spirits of the house
Bel
I don't think it will be very log before we are a home for cats again but Sidney was such a strong spirit we have to give him leaving room. And I am finally going to finish the oil portrait of Paul's father before we have furry felines running around again. Sidney was the best cat in the world.
"…very LONG…"
That's so sad, but I'm happy to know he'll probably have a place up on the shelf with all the other cats.
Feeling sad for you today. Good old Sidney. I am sure he is still with you there in one way or another. I had a friend, Dave, who was a spiritualist, who was close to my last cat. She died, but he didn't know, and his then girlfriend, also a spiritualist, said to him, around that time, that she could see a black and white cat purring all around him. When I later saw Dave, I told him that my cat had died and he was a bit shocked. I was also a bit perturbed that she was still around so to speak, but he told me that it was allright, that what it meant was that she had got safely over to the other side. I liked that and think of it occasionally.
Hope you both OK Love Carole
Yessir Mister Lemon
Boola and Marcel are awaiting Sid's transformed self to live among the books and stare down at us rather incomparable humans.
Carole Sweetie
Sid is definitely lurking in the spiritual sense. I expect to see him now and again as we have all the other felines who have left us from home. We still call out his name when we come home, we still talk to him. Thanks for your sweet comment.
I share with you, words that have always helped me.
"We who choose to surround ourselves
with lives even more temporary than our
own, live within a fragile circle;
easily and often breached.
Unable to accept its awful gaps,
we would still live no other way.
We cherish memory as the only
certain immortality, never fully
understanding the neccesary plan.... "
--- Irving Townsend ---
"The Once Again Prince"
Christina
What a beautiful gift. Thanks so much for this. Hug the Zarcreatures for us and Sid.
Beautiful .... made me tear up that did. As you very well know.
P.
Aaaaaaand that's why I love you.
Natalia Ginzburg wrote many stories with cats but I just read one that I think you would appreciate, in Italian the title is Borghesia, it is a beautiful story where cats are always there, reflecting inner and subtle currents "con il suo viso serio"...
Hugs to you two. Bye Sydney. My song just before Cody died was 'Last Train Home' - Pat Metheny. She and I listened to it together; her last bit here with me.
Bel
Is it coincidence or did you know that in Sidney's photo on The American friend, he is sitting on a novel by Natalia Ginzburg!
Delphi77
Sidney was a particular cat and liked to see his name spelled with an "i" and not a "y" :+)
Oh and I remember beautiful Cody. The first time I met her I was visiting you in Ohio just after Katey was born or soon after. You drove me to the house and told me to wait in the car until I was properly introduced to Cody as she was very protective of your family. I was more than a little apprehensive but trusted you. Cody sized me up, listened to your introduction of me and from then on I was in Cody's good graces. I would have trusted my life with her.
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