Animal Dedication Poems
by Alison Stormwolf

Less than five feet away
From where my loved one sits
Cars and tractors drive bye
Sometimes, at great speed. Oblivious to the fact
That the small bundle of fur
That inconspicuous
Little creature in the bushes
With the red tartan collar
And the St. Christopher plaque
Carries my heart's treasure...

Means more to me
Than a cat ever ought to do
But he is a 'tiger' inside
And so
He must be allowed
His freedom

His life,
Long or short
MUST be lived in open spaces

And so
He sits and he stalks,
Five feet from the road.
And I watch
And I pray

(For Pushka)

He will not be contained
Though encased within a tiny frame
his heart is expansive
Though his body is failing
his spirit is stronger than ever I will not force his return
to his metal prison
If he desires my company
he shall have it
I have been elevated
my heart has been pierced
As he lies in my arms
I know his days are numbered
he has gifted me with his presence
I am humbly indebted to him
for all he has taught me
Whoever would have thought
such love I have
for my rat?

(For my rat Capin)

Capin is dead
And though his leaving
tears a hole in my heart
so too, did his living
For all the laboritory rats
subjected to useless agonising
cruel experiments

Don't tell me that its worth it!
A rat is not a human
Their physiology makes their suffering
an abomination
Thalidomide was proven safe in rats!

Capin is dead
and his living was not in vain
He taught me to go forward in love
and those you approach
will get to love you too

He taught me that our enemies
(for him cats)
are not hostile if we approach them in love
He taught me that we can be lowly
but we can leave our mark in a big way

He showed me the meaning of "courage"

In 53 years I have never seen such bravery
David and Goliath?
Capin and Pushka!
Sleep well my little educator
You died on the carpet
outside your cage
Free..............
as you always were
In your
amazing
heart.