Your life started as tragic as it ended.

A little black kitten and siblings darting in and out of cars at a busy corner store.

You came up to me with your brother as I dug for change in my car, I turned around after hearing a sqeek and saw two black specs, no bigger than a baseball peering at me with yellow eyes.

I turned to you and you both ran. 

You knew I was the one for you. 

A couple days later I found you stretched out on a patch of grass on a sea of hot asphalt. 

Most had given you up for dead, I thought you had been smashed by a car.

As I towered over you and my shadow fell on your listless dehydrated body you looked up at me and squeaked again.

I took you home and gave you water, I put cold water on your warm body and held you until you came back around.

I went back later and coaxed your brother to come to me, as he was beside himself that you were gone and you were lonely too.

When I put him in the bathroom oh the joy you two shared, playing and rolling and cuddling together at night.

You had each other and you had me to lead you into a cold hard world.

You and your brother grew fast and played hard.

I named you Black Kitty and we had a ceremony when you both got your collars, complete with milk and tuna.

One day you learned that life was more than just green grass, butterflies and chasing grasshoppers.

You learned the cold side of life after your brother was killed by a passing car.

You wailed for hours at his body for him to get up until someone heard you and discovered what had happened.

It took you weeks to get over your playmate who never went far, I believe you still played with his spirit diving in and out the monkey grass.

You grew into a wonderful large black cat with hair softer than any pillow, you were sweet and talked out loud at any chance. 

You kept an eye on everything I did and followed me everywhere.

You loved me and I loved you.

Every time I saw you, I picked you up and hugged you and told you how much I loved you.

On what was your last day, we hugged and you rolled atop me in bed.

I told you how I found you and loved you and how special you were to me.

You extended your front foot to me, and put your paw over my mouth as to say, " I Know..shh".

Up to that point you had always tried to feed off my pillow and I would stop you, but that morning I watched you, you started but didn't do it, you were growing up.

On what was your last day it was like any other day, with you following me around the yard, calling for me and I fed you and you played with the other kitty's.

On that night when the moon was full and bright, I saw you on my porch, waiting to come in, oh how I wish I had let you in but you ran off, I did not think you were ready to settle down yet.

 When I called for you, I could hear the tinkle of your collar but could not find you.

I searched for you every hour of that night, up and down the street calling your name. I knew something was wrong, very wrong.

At daybreak, I went around the side of my house and thought at first you were laying on the side of the bushes near the neighbors house.

When I picked you up a gush of warm air came from your stiff body, your eyes open, you had passed after becoming tangled on a wire grate.

I held your stiff body, your soft coat, wishing I could step back in time, just this once.

I placed you next to your brother and wrapped you in my shirt as I buried you, I prayed that you were not in anguish but happy to be with your long lost brother.

I am sorry my little friend that I could not rescue you again in your time of need.

I can only look forward to the day we once again roll and play together and I tell you how much I love you.

Until then, not one day will go by that I will not think of you my little black furry friend