Katy in the snow
Katy in the sun
Finn and Katy
Finn, the lurcher
For Katy.
Mary Oliver is probably my favourite poet and I would normally have bought her new book Dog Songs by now as it has been out for some time. Unfortunately it appeared soon after we lost our second dog, (my own dog really, Katy the border collie) and I could not face reading 'doggy' poems.
Katy was a good age and her health had been deteriorating for some time but the end, when it came, had to be dealt with quickly and I am still not over it. I have never been without a dog since I was ten years old but I do not feel able to have another one yet, whether I will one day I do not know.
Loss is so hard to bear and seems to get harder not easier with the loss of each dog or cat. My current cat Molly is seventeen next year and so she too will be the next animal to move on. Such is life, death is part of it and I know I must dwell on the good times and all the love we have shared.
I wrote a poem to dear Finn, who sadly died last year which can be read here but have been too upset so far to write one yet for Katy.
In the meantime I shall dedicate this poem by Mary Oliver to her.
For Katy.
The Sweetness of Dogs
What do you say Percy? I am thinking
of sitting out on the sand to watch
the moon rise. Full moon.
So we go
And the moon rises, so beautiful it
makes me shudder, makes me think about
time and space, makes me take
measure of myself; one iota
pondering heaven. Thus we sit,
I thinking how grateful I am for the moon’s
perfect beauty and also, oh! how rich
it is to love the world. Percy, meanwhile,
leans against me and gazes up into
my face, as though I were
his perfect moon.
Mary Oliver
Bye for now,
Go mbeannai Dia duit.
Bye for now,
Go mbeannai Dia duit.
I am so in love with my Buddy that I barely stand to think of his passing. I'm so sorry for your loss. They are such special beings, such good companions. The image of Katy in the snow is beautiful and also beyond poignant.
ReplyDeleteMary understands.
It is so hard losing a pet, when our last cat was injured by dogs and eventually had to be put down I swore I'd have no more cats. That lasted about 2 weeks, we're now owned by a lovely Tabby who owns our heart and that's how it's meant to be.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry you lost your sweet Katy. Dogs fill a need deep down in us that nothing else can quite fill, don't they?
ReplyDeleteDear Cait,
ReplyDeleteSo sad. So sorry.
Katy looks like a star!
Losing a beloved dog is losing a family member.
It took us three years to get a dog after our last one died.
Don't hurry to do anything.
Cait, I remember each of the three beagles that sequentially gave me such childhood love.
ReplyDeleteMy adult years have been spent in small apartment quarters, without the space to accommodate a dog. But still I do wish and dream to someday sharing many good times with another dog friend.
I completely understand your sadness.
xo
I absolutely love that poem. It brought tears to my eyes. it encapsulates so simply and perfectly what it is to have a doggy (or indeed any) friend.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry you lost both of yours. My cat cleo is now 14. She's been with me through thick and thin, before husband and children, seen me through good times and kept me going through bad and I will be heart-broken when she goes. I do feel for you. You can't replace friends, you can only add to them x
Cait- would you mind if I put the poem on my blog too?
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry about the loss of your best friend Katy.
ReplyDeleteThose relationships are like no other.
I read your poem for Finn - it's a beautiful tribute Cait.
One day at a time.
Shane
Mary Oliver is one of my favourite poets too and her poem "Wild Geese" is one of the most powerful works I have ever read.
ReplyDeleteI know what a beloved dog means...and how hard it is when they pass away, what a terrible thing that their life-span is so much shorter than ours. I had a dog who lived eighteen years, and the one I am living with now is ten. I have now been living alone for three years with only this dog as a companion.. a "she"... who actually keeps me "on earth".
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful tribute. And what a beautiful dog it was. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
I am so sorry about your Katy, and totally understand how you feel. I haven't been able to write anything about my sweet boy Bertie (Top Dog) who died (also very suddenly) almost a year ago now. I still feel, deep down, as if he will suddenly reappear. Some wounds are so deep, and so sore that all you can do is try to protect them from touch, from re-opening, from even being seen and commented on by others. I too love Mary Oliver, but also haven't looked into her new book yet. I loved the poem of hers that you quoted. Percy is like my Model Dog. All I can say, Cait, is that while I totally understand how you feel, you should get another dog. There is a dog out there, in some kind but lonely rescue kennel, waiting for you, because you will be his or her perfect moon - and, however sore your heart - you will love them.
ReplyDeletePS I think your lovely poem for Finn was the first time I ever found your blog. I loved that poem, and knew you and your dogs were like me and my dogs. It so happens you posted that poem the day before my own sweet boy died.
ReplyDeleteSo sad to read about the loss of your beautiful dog, that's a really lovely poem, the sentiments are beautiful, big hugs, Margie ❤️
ReplyDeleteI only found this now, having taken time out of blogger due to the unexpected illness of our youngest cat. Losing our animal friends is always so hard. I am certain though that yours would wish for you to be loved by another in your future. Keep Hope. x
ReplyDelete