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He prowled the house at Midnight,
He hated to go to bed.
His eyes too tired for reading,
TV shows, dull and dead.
He had a late snack at Eleven,
He washed it down with tea and
cream.
But all of it seemed tasteless,
Just a part of the routine.
He had on his blue pajamas,
He smiled - they matched his eyes.
Well, Sue said that when she
bought them,
For his Father's Day surprise.
It was hot in there; he stepped
outside,
To breathe in the fresh night
air.
He walked about the patio,
Then sat down upon a chair.
He propped his feet up on the
railing,
Stretched back - his hands
behind his head.
A perfect view of the stars above,
Let's see - how long had Sue been
dead?
Five minutes - five years - or fifty?
Funny, how time gets away.
Sometimes, it seemed like a lifetime,
Other times, like just a day.
He never thought he'd be the one,
To be left alone below.
Per all the known statistics,
He should have been the first to go..
Of course, that's what they both
expected.
And they planned accordingly.
To make sure Sue would be cared for,
She was his first priority.
Well, "the best laid plans of
mice and men,
(As we know) often go astray."
He sighed and studied the stars
again,
Hm-m, there's the Milky Way.
Now, he was benefiting,
By what he'd planned for Sue.
It wasn't fair; it wasn't right,
Look, her roses still bloomed, too.
He picked up a scent of Jasmine,
Filtering through the soft,
night air.
How she loved that sweet aroma,
She had those bushes everywhere.
Suddenly his body jarred,
A weight dropped in his lap.
He looked down, "Well, hello,
Melody,"
Eye to eye, he met the cat.
Round and round, sweet Melody turned,
Purring while she made her
nest.
He rubbed her chin, as she settled
in,
"Old girl," he said,
"You're still the best."
Sue surely loved her Melody,
Which was a mutual thing.
The cat truly loved her back,
That's how they learned that she
could sing.
When Sue held Melody on her lap,
And stroked her on the throat.
The little cat threw back her head,
And let out some strange, but
pleasant, notes.
The first time Melody sang out,
She was still a tiny kitten.
Sue, delighted, cried, "Honey,
come quick,"
And while Sue stroked, he
listened.
And, sure enough, the cat sang
forth,
A song, all of her own.
Sue must have had a magic touch,
For she'd only sing for Sue
alone.
Then after Sue had left them,
Melody sang no more.
In fact, she seldom let him pet
her,
Let alone sing, as she'd done before.
But this night, as he held and
rubbed her,
Melody's tiny head went back.
And she sang directly to the stars,
Her little voice, still intact.
Earnestly her song poured forth,
He knew she sang for Sue.
Then he blew a kiss towards
Heaven,
Feeling Sue well-knew that,
too.
It seemed like they were all in
touch,
Melody, Sue and he.
And what a grand time they all had,
Almost like it used to be.
Then, he and Melody together,
After sending their love above.
Went back into the house to bed,
With one last song and hug.
Virginia (Ginny) Ellis
copyright 2001 ~ Revised 2003
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