Wednesday, August 21, 2013

I Cried Out For Clyde


                                                                            Attribution: Alfa100us
Image: A Typical Clyde Pose When it Slept, Very Unlike other Cats
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Upon  my daughter Azlin’s Commencement
she stayed on for a few months in the States
Clyde, a Scottish Fold came into her life.
It shared the apartment with her other house-mates
Azlin got attached to it and didn’t have the heart
but to take it back home.

At the airport Clyde in its cage was watery in its eyes
'meowing' pleading to be released. Azlin was shedding
tears unashamedly on the couch next to it sadly
thinking Clyde would be alone in the cargo hold.

It went through quarantine for  a few days upon
arrival. Again tears freely flowed before Clyde was
brought home to meet with the rest of our family.

It was such a joy!  Being a house-cat
it set in motion the routine for the household for
the few years following. 

It would lay down at its own corner upon 
layered ‘beddings’ or otherwise loitering
around the house, chasing and messing with the pieces
of strings or little rounded objects that we bought.
The fabric lounge set was subject to frequent
scratching before it got ‘shooed’ away every
now and then

Daily chores of scooping the ‘balls’ of pee and poo
from the ‘sand’ and replenishing same, a refreshing
bath occasionally when ticks invaded the silky fur
rare visits to the vet and even being left at the
Pets Hotel when the family went out of town
for a few days. Not forgetting buying the cat food 
pellets and sand from the Pet Shop every so often.

This went on for a few years of Pet bliss until one day
it suddenly went heavy on both hind legs and
was dragging itself about.

The vet confirmed besides old age there were
some complications of its colon and lower parts
of its tummy. It so happened it was due for surgery
when most of the family members were
away in Alor Star about 500km up north.
My daughter was at the vet but was called
back to the office we were later told.

The surgery took place anyway and Clyde was
alone with strange people around him.Clyde
did not make it.. When the sad news was conveyed,
I cried out as the rest of the family.

We had Clyde buried in a shallow grave at the back-yard
But the sadness and tears lingered on for a few days.
More so when it seemed that prior to surgery when Clyde
did not get to see us it broke its little heart. The vet staff
said this could have hastened its demise. It seemed possible.

Animals have strange ways of knowing if the family members
were close by or not. It could have survived  if we had been
there to give the moral support.

We felt terribly sorry we were not there when 
Clyde needed us most!

Written for Kim's hosting at Poets United  to include as prompt - I cried out -
Verse First and to write in the first person


24 comments:

  1. Oh Hank, so loving and so sad. I love it that Clyde felt safe enough to lie on its back - dogs do that when they feel fully trusting. Clyde loved his home. I can imagine how much he is missed. Love the part about Clyde's watery eyes. Animals feel such depth of emotion.

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    1. We still haven't got it over with. When a similar looking cat is found running around the neighborhood, all of us will exclaim in unison. Look! Clyde! To think it's been years since Clyde passed on! Thanks Sherry!

      Hank

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  2. sad. having lost our older cat at christmas last year...its hard...they are such a part of the family....heavy man...

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    1. That's true Brian, thanks! We feel the gap, the emptiness in between! It's very real!

      Hank

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  3. p.s. I just remembered, my grandson had been living with my daughter for a time with his white cat, Casper. He recently moved into his own place, and took Casper with him. But the moment the cat got outside, he walked all the way back to my daughter's, across main intersections, through traffic, somehow evading all the dogs, and showed up at her door. He decided that's where home was.

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    1. Strangely enough, this is similar to what had been written elsewhere. And you experienced it first hand, Sherry! How nice!

      It seemed a cat was also brought to a new home many miles away to another city. It managed to find its way back after some years. Of course it looked terrible just like any alley cat and it was street smart unlike before! But it was the same cat!

      Hank

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  4. Such a lovely but sad poem, Hank. I know how it feels to be away from a pet when it dies, and it is indeed heartbreaking. Pets need us as much as we need them.
    Luv, K

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    1. Yes, how much we regretted and how much sorry we felt
      Thanks Kay!

      Hank

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  5. This is a compelling read, Hank, and so heartfelt. So much love and joy from sweet Clyde. And I fully understand the sorrow you felt upon his death. We who love animals all understand.

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    1. This is something difficult to explain. Animal lovers often sacrifice more. One is all the richer having experienced it. Thanks Kim!

      Hank

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  6. the loss of a pet is like the loss of a family member

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  7. Know all too much the scooping haha it is sad in every way when they pass as they are a part of the family just as much as anyone else. They do have a sense when you are around too.

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  8. Hank,

    I felt your loss within this account about Clyde.I too remeber the sadness when a cat was taken from my home and never found again. The inability to ever see the animal, or know exactly where it went.It had been a very loyal cat and was a great loss as well.

    Eileen

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  9. So sad, Hank..sorry for your loss.Clyde...I like the name...it's remarkable how home animal unite the family and become the part of it.

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  10. Hank, this poem truly breaks my heart. It is so very hard to lose a beloved animal. I have been through it a few times, and I have really CRIED OUT when I've had to say good-bye.

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  11. Heartbreaking Hank. I had my cat Simon for 16 yrs and was so very sad when he passed away.

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  12. Oh, Hank I could feel the pain and sadness in this poem~ I understand all the emotion...your poem is vivid and so true~
    I am sorry to hear of losing your furry family member!

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  13. A cat person! The depth of your connection comes out in this prose poem. I'm surprised the vet lay the guilt trip on you! At the cat's age, surgery might have been too much. It seems this was the end, friend. Having lost my Pierette 2 years back, I know you see Clyde everywhere.

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  14. ...oh no Hank.... Clyde was a cute tubby cat.... i'm enjoying the pic & your words when suddely the read reached to such tragic end... i wasn't prepared for it.... really broke my heart as i really love animals.... :'(

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  15. This is so touchy...
    Reminds me of a doggie we had..

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  16. Yes, I did cry out while reading this. Very touching.

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  17. Very well written and very moving. I love it. I feel your pain wholeheartedly. Well done.

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  18. aww..so sweet and so sad. such moving lines......

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