PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

The little orange boy woke feeling so much better. "Maybe all I needed was a good nap", he thought. He eased his eyes open and was surprised he was back outside, and it seemed Daddy had brought him to a different place in the yard. He was also surprised as he began to realize he felt so much stronger. "I wish Daddy had brought me to this part of the yard sooner, it is so pretty and smells even more wonderful that where we were going before. But I guess he was working on the part we were in and maybe he was just done here."

He stretched his legs tentatively, pleased that they felt stronger than they had in a while. He attempted to stand, moving slow so he wouldn’t fall. "Poot, still too weak to stand, so I guess I was just fooling myself about being stronger."

A familiar laugh startled him. "You're no fun if you are gonna quit so easily. The Spud I remember would have tried to get free even if he couldn't." Spud felt a weight he had not realized was there lifting off of his body. Slowly, he focused on who he thought he was hearing. His mind began racing, he knew the voice - but Boogie had been gone for 2 years now. Boogie who was the clumsiest one in the entire furball game, who couldn't really fight to defend himself, who would use his weight and size and lay on the others to gain the upper hand.

Boogie slid gracefully off of Spud moving easily to the side. He postured toward Spud implying a playful rematch. Before either kitty could move a gruff third voice joined them. "Humph, do I need to slap some sense into you both?" Suddenly another orange kitty stood firmly between the two brothers. "And if you didn't notice, my bad leg is fine now." Spud and Boogie backed down. Both knew he did not like even play squabbling and it looked like he would have no problem handling both of them.

Spud began to look around and wonder, This part of the yard was so different and he was seeing more and more of Mommy and Daddy's furball gang even though he knew they had been gone for a while. In fact, it seemed every cat Mommy and Daddy had had were all here as were his friends from before, Kung Pau and Fuzzy - even ones who were gone before he became a member of the furball gang that he had only heard of - everyone was here except Timber.

Spud began to feel uncertain, where was Daddy? Daddy would never have been this long out of sight while he was letting him be outside. Daddy would never have let everyone out at the same time. Where was Mommy? He began to search frantically for them, for anything familiar, and to feel a sense of . . . He wasn't sure what.

A new voice joined the joyful mix. "Have any of you noticed that while you celebrate being together and with your brother Spud that he is lost? Have any of you thought to help him understand what has happened?" Everyone looked down realizing that in their excitement they had forgotten to do their first task that was to be done. To help the newest one there. The newcomer looked kindly at Spud, "My name is Muffin, my Mum is a friend of your Mommy. Can you tell me what you remember, just before you woke up here?"

Spud thought for a moment, he remembered getting weaker and losing interest in eating as much. He remembered his food being changed, a lot, to new and tasty foods. Them he began to have problems with walking but he could still get about. Then yesterday he just didn't want to eat and late yesterday he just couldn't walk. This morning he really didn't even like water. So Mommy and Daddy took him to see his special doctor, and some of his girls in the office came in to love on him (but then they always did) and then his doctor came in and loved on him and gave him some medicine and he felt so much better, and then he dozed off. Now he was really confused, "what happened?"

Muffin cheek stroked Spud's neck in a move to comfort him. "Look around you, have you ever seen this place? Look at the sky." Spud knew he had never seen this place and when he looked up the entire sky was the most beautiful rainbow he could imagine. Slowly he began to realize, everyone who was here and those who were not.

"Wait, is this? Am I? If I am gone what will happen to Daddy? To Mommy?" Almost as if in answer to his question he heard them, Mommy and Daddy, crying? "Wait, are they here too? NOOOOOO!!"

Muffin looked at Spud's siblings, "You need to help him, to show him." Then Muffin looked softly at Spud and he began to try to comfort him, "No, they are not here and they will heal. Right now they hurt from their broken hearts. Boogie will take you to a special place here, the reflecting pond - he will explain it to you."

Boogie stepped to his brother and nodded for him to follow him. He led Spud to a stunning meadow and the most beautiful pond that seemed to be almost like a clear crystal mirror. As he got closer he heard Mommy and Daddy again and ran toward their voices. He looked toward the sound and realized he was looking deep into the water, and that instead of his reflection he could see Mommy and Daddy. He patted at their reflections and Mommy stopped crying for a moment. Boogie looked at Spud, "From here you can see them whenever you want, and send them your love.

© Candace 5/5/2023
EOW 5/4/2023