My cat passed today and I thought of the spoken word poetry I wrote for an English assignment and thought I’d post it, I plan to make more poetry about my cat in the future 🫶.

 
I haven’t been home in several days,
And when I return, you avert your gaze.
You used to race to greet me there,
Now silence meets me on the stair.

You’d cry from bed a welcome loud,
Your voice above the quiet crowd.
You’d yell and yell till I came near,
A constant sound I’d always hear.

I tested this once, you wouldn’t quit. 
Two minutes straight you threw a fit.
Now when I call, you're still, the same,
But when you eat, I feel less blame.

You eat when I call, that makes me glad,
You’re shy with others, it makes me sad.
Yet deep inside, I wish you'd look,
how you used to look at me.

Distance aches, it leaves a scar,
My brother's close, while I am far.
He stays with you most nights and days,
While I am lost in school hallways.

I hear of joy you two have shared,
More tales than I care to hear, it leaves me scared.
Are you more thrilled when he walks in?
Or is this all just fear within?

We met four years ago, we’re now seventeen, 
But time's been in a haste,
Life's just begun for me to chase,
Meanwhile age has slowed your eager pace.

You sleep much more, you are thinner too,
Is it in my mind, or is it true?
Mom says your hearing’s not the same
Do you still hear me speak your name? Even now?

When I say goodnight do you still hear?
Do you know I miss you, love you, dear?
Do you speak of me when I’m not there,
Or whisper secrets in the air?

Being apart feels so sharp and wrong, 
A punishment that lasts too long.
I miss your face against the chair,
Your blanket dives, your mirrored startled stare.

You mean the world, and always will.
Your golden eyes, your voice so scratchy,
That tail that snaps, your whiskers contrasting your coat,
Your awkward gait, your coat of night.

Each time I leave, I feel the dread,
That I’ll get bad news in class instead.
It’s foolish, sure, but feels so true.
I'm grieving, while still with you.

You snore beside me, unaware,
While I just sit and ache and stare.
And though you sleep, I hope you know:
You’re loved far more than I can show.