My cat is ill...

My cat is ill.
His recently bouncy body
now limp,
lying on the carpet,
unable to move...
...bright yellow eyes
now dull with pain,
fear, frustration,
not knowing if this is the end.
To the touch his fur is still soft, silky warm,
except for the ice-cold feet on the back,
dragging uselessly behind,
not carrying him
any longer.

I look at him
with so much pain
in my heart,
unable to tell him
that he may be dying…
…so young,
so soon,
so full of life
just yesterday.

It is a life,
I allowed
close to my heart,
to exchange with: love, affection,
recognizing each other's existence
and mutual need
for closeness, understanding,
for unconditional, unpretentious
interdependence.

Love of any life form
is as deep as you let it
penetrate beyond your defenses,
as vital as you dare to expose
your ephemeral, one-time existence
between your brief span
of not yet
and not any more,
that's what life is
that's it...
...all.