FOR Promptly Poetry Challenge (2023-24)

Kitten at Play

Was thinking about this image
A little kitten at play
When I saw Nixie's email
She had to put her cat to sleep.

The image came to mind again
The cat would've played away
into the hearts of the family
Become one of them

And now they're grieving
the memories are flooding in
they wait for their pet's footsteps
their pet's distinct mewing call
but they'll hear these no longer
except in their minds.

It's hard to let go.
I suddenly recall my Dad
He had read me the rhyme of the kittens
being naughty
and used to call me "Naughty Kitten".

"Sona-Baba Naughty Kitten" he'd say
and I'd respond,
"Aao Naughty-Kitten Nai"
(I'm not a naughty kitten!)
and we'd laugh.
He remembered it sometimes after I grew up

Now, Nixie has memories of her cat
I have memories of Dad
This isn't so much a poem
as a ramble
sparked off by the image of a
kitten
at
play.