PARTS OF THE FAMILY

PARTS OF OUR FAMILY

When puppies or kittens or snakes

Come home for little ones’ sakes…

A ferret is fine

Or hedgehog in time,

To raise relationship stakes.

The best kind of  pet for a child

Is one that hangs around a while…

An emotional bond

To which each respond,

With comfort, security…and guile!

Long-term learned behavior,

Predictable patterns to savor…

Set over time,

In harmonic rhyme

With life simplified full of flavor.

A loved dog or cat lasts for years

Responding to young Master’s tears

And Missie’s day dreams,

Which their owner seems

To interpret as wisdom filled ears.

Grew up with “Ballam Yalson Caswell”

A ginger cat character as well…

Taken from his Mom

Tiny enough on a palm

A doll baby bottle fed him so well.

A Turkish doctor family

Gave him to us to raise for free…

For years they wrote

To on “their” cat dote,

To check on their little “Bolly”.

He lasted nearly twenty-one years.

Bringing us through joys and tears…

My folks said that he

Passed away quietly

In the cool basement in his mat dear.

He’s buried near a mulberry tree,

If I want to I can still go see

That place in my mind

When I need to find

My “Bolly” Cat who helped rear me.

—Jonathan Caswell