Sunday 27 October 2024

A Set of Short Poems & Two Poems by Jennifer Gurney

 




the vet's voice

softly shares the test results

my heart disintegrates


***


when it’s time 

to call the vet again

I pray to be brave


***


I empty my heart

of sadness and fear

love floods in


***


as you relaxed

warm on my lap

my soul breathed


***


in that moment

you stepped into the gloaming

forever


***


thanking you

for 17 years of love

as you slipped through

the slats of the garden

and ran free


***


a piece of my heart

goes with you into 

the gentle, soft night


a piece of your heart

stays with me and rises 

with the dawn


***


it was an honour

to love and be loved 

in return


***


I Noticed


I noticed

the silkiness of your fur

beneath my fingers


I noticed

when I could let sadness go

love flooded in


I noticed

that your life with me 

played like a movie


as you snuggled 

deep into the cover

on my lap


I noticed

the deep kindness of the vet

who came to help


a gentleness of spirit

walked in the door

with him


coaching us through

with knowledge and

infinite grace


I noticed

that I spoke to you

in poetry


thanking you

for 17 years of

love and friendship


giving you permission

to step into the

gloaming


and run free

in the garden

forever


I noticed 

how my friend showed love

by being present


calmly supporting

us both through this difficult

yet magical moment


kissing you goodbye

holding my hand

hearing our stories


I noticed

how deeply you relaxed

into your final breaths


I noticed 

a gentle peace settling in

as you transitioned


I noticed 

my hand still petting you

even after you'd gone


knowing I should stop

but not yet being

able to


I noticed

your collar was still warm

as I held it, after


I noticed

how quiet the house seemed

then


I noticed

how the tears flowed

of their own accord


I noticed

your hairs in the dryer

lint catcher, today


I noticed

how my other cat and I

are finding our new normal


I noticed

that I still see you

in my periphery


I noticed

that coming home

I still call your name


I noticed

that I still listen

for your footfall


and I can still feel

your silky fur

beneath my fingers


I noticed

that you filled a very large space

for such a tiny cat


***


the Holy Spirit

knocked on my door 

twice yesterday

once in a friend

once in a vet


they filed my home

with pure, calm love

allowing me

such grace and

understanding


coaching me

to be pure love for one 

who's been pure love for me

until she breathed

her last


after


one wrapped you

in a blanket with such

compassion

that it lifted

my soul


the other wrapped me

in love

and stayed for dinner

and overnight

so I wouldn't be alone


I'm grateful

for the Holy Spirit

knocking on my door

and for having the courage

to open it







Jennifer Gurney lives in Colorado where she teaches, paints, writes and hikes. Her poetry has appeared internationally in a wide variety of journals, including Lothlorien, The Ravens Perch, HaikUniverse, Haiku Corner, Cold Moon Journal, Scarlet Dragonfly and The Haiku Foundation. Jennifer’s haiku has recently won the 6th Basho-an International English Haiku Competition and was recently selected for the Golden Triangle Haiku Poetry Competition in DC. Her poetry has also been accepted into the Ars Nova Shared Vision project in Colorado and will be turned into a choral piece and performed in a series of concerts in the Denver area this June.

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