Craig

Craig, our dark feral beauty, first seen at your mama’s side,
Just a baby with Donna, with your wide and wary eyes.
Two shadows at the feeding bowls, learning how to trust and eat,
Small paws in the quiet night, light as whispers on the street.

Then Donna slipped into silence, gone where we could not see,
You walked your lonely paths a while, a young soul running free.
We watched the empty feeding place, we worried and we prayed,
Until one night your shape returned, a ghost who chose to stay.

Your little mouth was hurting, yet you still tried to be brave,
We struggled just to trap you, so your pain could start to fade.
Rodent ulcers marked your smile, but not the courage in your eyes,
A fighter in a fragile coat beneath the open skies.

We will miss your “hiss meow,” that grumble wrapped in song,
The way you warned and welcomed us, saying this is where I belong.
May your tummy always be full, with every need at rest,
And may you find soft beds of light where only love is left.

Run gently now, dear Craig, on paths our eyes cannot explore,
Send kisses to our angel cats who walked this road before.
You were still so very young, yet your story now is done,
Our dark feral beauty, sleep well, forever safe, forever home.