9/07/2010

For Willie

This is the sunset that painted the island gold the day you died.
Saturday.
Because we had to make an informed, tough, heart breaking decision.
Whatever animal attacked you on Friday night did so
with intention to fatally maim.
And succeeded.
The Vet said she had never seen anything like it.
Neither had I when I opened the door at 1:00 am and saw your bloody tears streaming from your right eye.
That was the only injury. But it was enough.
Through the eyelid  (I never knew that cats have 3 of them for extra protection) through the cornea, through the entire eyeball. And beyond...almost into the brain cavity. Most likely there...so that there could be no guarantees. Antibiotics might stave off infection. Then again, they might not.
And most definitely, your eye would have to be removed. And your eyelid stitched shut for at least a week. And you would be in terrible pain.
And no guarantees that you would survive this.
My heart aches.
We chose to follow the Vet's recommendation...and so you are not here.
You are in the wind...and I heard you cry today when it thundered.
And so I cried too.
You were just learning how to be a cat with human friends
that you chose to live with. And we were learning together.
I feel like we betrayed you, and I'm so sorry.
But not sorry for having met you.
It wasn't long...and it wasn't enough. 

Willie.