Midnight Marsupial Munchies

Our cat, Bubs, lives outdoors most of the time. He's got a nice setup really. A heated pet bed on the front porch, always fresh water, and of course a bowl of food standing at the ready. I try to bring in the bowl each night before I go to bed to discourage other animals coming up in the night and eating from Bub's bowl.  Last night I forgot until late in the night.  When I went outside to retrieve the bowl, I could see tiny animal footprints around the bowl that wasn't a cat's footprint.  It was a slender footprint, with long toes.  Being raised in the South and being around animals all my life, I recognized the footprints as an Opossum footprint.  Anyway, I brought the bowl in and went to bed.
This morning upon awakening I went outside to say hello to Bubs and bring him breakfast.  That's when I noticed a dead Opossum in our front yard.  I quickly disposed of the body in the woods in front of the house by the lake.  Bubs takes his food seriously I guess.  Being 24 pounds of all male cat (well OK, he was neutered as a young cat) he had no problem in handling the likes of a freeloading Opossum.  I felt bad for the little guy, but in nature the strong survive.  I don't worry too much about Bub's, he has proven over the years that he can take care of himself.

Broken Seraph

I know an angel who's on my mind
with a heart of gold and oh so kind
a lovely smile and a pair of wings
to me she's more than anything

But now she's broken and cries at night       
and if she'll let me I think I might
teach her how to laugh and sing
so I'll lift her up and mend her wings

Time will pass and heal her wounds
and she'll be singing and flying soon
sometimes bad things happen, but this will pass
so smile little angel or I'll kick your ass

Carousel

This is how much she loves me I said to myself throughout the night. Allowing me to go alone to the park and ride the carousel until I could ride it no more. That is what I asked of her on the eve of Valentine's day.  A needed memory of being a young boy.  This was my desire. Perhaps a strange gift to ask of my wife...to be alone and act as a child. Sixty years had crept upon me all too quickly. As I lifted myself upon the beautiful steed, the twirl of the ponies, and the calliope began to sing to me. A young Mother with her son in her lap passed by in reflections upon the mirrored walls. I wished to be that little boy.  I wished for my own Mother.
I rode until ecstasy became pain and I could ride no longer. I rode until the dawn awakened me from my nocturnal trance. My walk home this morning was lighter, happier than it had been in thirty years.  I stopped to pick flowers for the cloisonne vase that resides on our rosewood dining table.  Merci mon petit lapin. Today I will go buy chocolates and macaroons for us to enjoy in bed.