OctPoWriMo Day 23

“If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.” -James Herriot

Today’s Prompt: Fur Babies

Rufio

Some people hate the term “fur babies,” arguing that animals are nothing like “real” children. But those of us who have pets understand. We love our furry babies as if they were our own flesh and blood.

Do you have pets? That love is just as real and strong as any love. Have you ever lost a pet? The grief is just as real and strong as when you lose anyone.

When I was very young, I had a puppy named Lucky. We were best friends. He used to hold my hand while we ran around outside together. Yes, in his mouth. Yes, while we ran. No, he never hurt me. He used to love racing down the mountainside in the vacant lot next door to run across the road at the bottom. I still remember the sound of his yelp when a car hit him. The grief of losing him was just as sharp as the grief at losing my grandpa a few years earlier.

Dawn

I’ve lost two cats in the years since. Oliver and Dawn will always be in my heart. Oliver had a tumour in his mouth. The vet could have operated to remove it, but the recovery would have been miserable, and it would have come back. The choice to let him go was the hardest choice I’ve ever made. Dawn slipped out the door one night, her black fur blending into the darkness, and we didn’t notice. My husband found her broken body on the side of the road when he got home from a night shift. I spent the next day crying.

I have three cats right now: Toby, Rufio, and Rolly. Rolly came to us a pregnant stray, and we will soon have kittens too. We are excited for them (but will definitely spay her as soon as they’re weaned).

Toby

Word Prompts:
Cute
Furry
Cuddly
Love

Rolly

Suggested Form: Ode or Acrostic

Remember, our prompts are only suggestions, and you can find your inspiration wherever your muse leads you. Please visit the other participants, share the hashtag #OctPoWriMo on social media, and share your link in the comments below.

Esther Spurrill Jones has been writing since she was very young. She has written in many genres, but poetry is her first love. She has a few collections of poetry available on Kindle. Esther enjoys introducing people who have little or no experience to the joy of poetry. To this end, she has written several articles on Medium on how to write and enjoy poetry. Esther lives in the Frozen North (Saskatchewan, Canada) with the love of her life and three awesome terrible cats.