I only have one memory of you;

us, on that winter night,

you, in my arms, at the place of your birth,

where you would forever rest

in a shell of your mother’s sable fur.

I ran my fingers across your raven coat,

as you gazed up at me 

with those golden, beady eyes.

You were a tiny, vulnerable creature,

in need of comfort, and safety.

I hope that, when you shut your eyes forever,

on that fateful night,

you had the presence of someone at the shelter:

someone to hold your little body--

to cradle you,

to cherish you, and give you a makeshift home,

when I couldn’t be there to say goodnight.