Cat Max, ti voglio bene

Hello, friends,
Our dear cat Max, Maxy, Massimo Gatto, died at home after 19 years with us in December 2018. Among other things, he taught us about interspecies care and friendship. Peggy was great with him in so many ways. Here is the poem. Best for the New Year. Gene B.

Max, Ti Voglio Bene*

Max, we love you,
Siamese of our hearts
for nineteen years
of inspiration, blessing and fun.
You stole away before dawn
after a hard day
of weeping and moaning
as we planned a visit to the vet.
Yet you probably wanted to search the cosmos,
and avoid more pills and probes.
Yours was a venturesome soul,
even when you sat on me during naps,
plotting this get-away dream,
knapsack on shoulder,
to slip under the prayer flags,
down to the Oconee toward freedom.
“Don’t worry, dad and mom, you took great care,
and I’ll be with you in the serenity garden
with poodle Rhainy and the rest
as we watch the river and feel its flooding.
“Max, you were sent to stir poetic juices,
walking across my written pages
to help me see around corners,
and enjoy the late stage of my writing life.
Cat Tony says he saw you
sneaking under the banners of generosity
without giving him the fisheye.
Family sadness stays but gives way to much joy.

*Ti voglio bene (Italian: “I love you.”)
–Eugene C. Bianchi, Athens, GA, Dec. 31, 2018