Goodbye, my gentle soul

 Goodbye, my gentle soul.

You rested your head in my lap and taught me how quiet love can be.

The last morning I held you, your fur smelled like sunshine and rain—everything small and perfect about you. I pressed my cheek to your flank and memorized the rise and fall of you.

Now the house echoes. The pillow is still. The toys are waiting. Grief is loud, but beneath it there’s a softer sound—memory—where you still live.

I imagine you in a field of light, whole and joyful. I imagine the day my feet find that path and you rush to meet me, tail a flag of welcome.

Until then, goodbye for now, my gentle soul. Thank you for every slow, tender moment. I will keep you with me—always.