by CHRISTINE MCNABNEY
THE HARDEST PART OF LOSING
YOUR SPECIAL FURRY FRIEND
IS THE MORNING AFTER, WHEN YOU WAKE UP
KNOWING YOUR HEART WILL NEVER MEND
WE SPENT EVERYDAY TOGETHER
FOR SIX LONG WONDERFUL YEARS
I NEVER THOUGHT SUCH HAPPINESS
COULD END IN SO MANY TEARS
I PUT YOU IN BED EVERY NIGHT
WITH YOUR 4 SISTERS AND 2 BROTHERS
YOU EACH HAVE YOUR SPECIAL SPOT
A KISS FROM ME THEN UNDER THE COVERS
DAY IN AND DAY OUT WAS PRETTY MUCH ROUTINE
UNTIL THE AWFUL DAY YOU SLIPPED OUT THE BACK DOOR
ALL YOU WANTED TO DO WAS LOOK AROUND
BEING AN INDOOR CAT YOU WANTED TO EXPLORE
YOU WERE ONE OF MY SEVEN FURR KIDS
BUT ANY TIME OF THE DAY
I ALWAYS KNEW WHERE EACH ONE OF YOU WERE
NO MATTER WHAT CRAZY PLACE YOU CHOSE TO LAY
WATCHING AND PROTECTING YOU
MAKING SURE YOUR LIFE WAS THE BEST
I NEVER THOUGHT AFTER ALL THESE YEARS
I'D BE PUT TO THE ULTIMATE TEST
AS I WENT ABOUT MY THINGS
I DIDN'T PAY CLOSE ENOUGH ATTENTION
TO ALL THE USUAL THINGS YOU'D DO
SOME SO SILLY, THAT I WILL NOT MENTION
I SHOOK THE TREAT BAG, TIME FOR BED
YOU WERE USUALLY THE FIRST IN LINE
2,4, THEN 6 OF CAME RUNNING IN
WHERE WAS THAT NALA GIRL OF MINE
I FELT A LITTLE LUMP IN MY THROAT
WONDERING, WHEN DID I SEE HER LAST TODAY
FEELING THE PANIC I STARTED TO LOOK
EVERY PLACE SHE MAY HAVE DECIDED TO PLAY
AS EACH ROOM KEPT COMING UP EMPTY
I COULDN'T HOLD BACK THE TEARS
LOOKING OUTSIDE SEEING THE SKY SO BLACK
THEN CAME THE REALIZATION OF ALL MY FEARS
NOT ONE TIME IN HER LIFE WITH US
HAS SHE EVER BEEN IN THE DARK
SHE MUST BE SO SCARED, I KNOW SHE IS
FOR ONCE I WISHED SHE COULD BARK
I DIDN'T LEAVE THE CHAIR ALL NIGHT
WAITING, WONDERING AND THINKING THE WORST
MY STOMACH WAS TURNING AND FILLED WITH GUILT
AS MORNING CAME, TEARS STARTED TO BURST
MY HUSBAND CAME DOWN AND GAVE ME A HUG
THE SUNS COMING UP HE SAID, I'LL GO LOOK OUTSIDE
I SAID A QUIET LITTLE PRAYER WHILE HE WAS GONE
IT TOOK SO LONG FOR HIM TO COME BACK, I WANTED TO HIDE
WITH NO EXPRESSION ON HIS FACE
HE CAME AND SAT DOWN NEXT TO ME
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK, WAS IT GOOD OR BAD
BUT IN HIS EYES I STARTED TO SEE
IN A SOFT VOICE HE SAID, HONEY SHE'S BEEN HIT BY A CAR
MY HEART SKIPPED A BEAT, I COULD NOT BREATH
I DIDN'T BELIEVE HIM I DIDN'T WANT TO
I WANTED TO RUN - I JUST WANTED TO LEAVE
I SCOOPED HER UP IN MY ARMS, BUT THIS TIME WAS SO DIFFERENT
HER BODY BADLY BROKEN, HER SHINY FUR NOW COVERED IN DIRT
THE SPARKLE IN HER EYE WAS GONE, SHE WAS GETTING SO COLD
I WAS SO SICK INSIDE I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW BAD IT HURT
I HELD HER CLOSE AND WHISPERED IN HER EAR
PLEASE FORGIVE ME, I'M SO SORRY FOR NOT BEING THERE
YOU SHOULD OF BEEN MY PRIORITY LIKE EVERY OTHER DAY
I GOT CAUGHT UP IN MY WORLD, THEN COULDN'T FIND YOU ANYWHERE
IT SEEMED SO IMPOSSIBLE THAT YOU WERE LEAVING ME
AS I LAID YOU IN YOUR COFFIN FILLED WITH SATIN AND LOTS OF LACE
YOU HAD SO MUCH LIFE LEFT IN YOU, SO MANY YEARS TO PLAY
I TOUCHED HER NOSE WITH MINE AND PUT A KISS UPON HER FACE
THERE WILL NOT BE A DAY THAT GOES BY THAT I WON'T THINK OF YOU
THE WAY YOU WOULD NUDGE ME WITH YOUR NOSE AND LICK ME
TO LET ME KNOW IT WAS TIME FOR A KISS AND SOME LOVES
IF I COULD ONLY RELIVE YESTERDAY, SO THANKFUL I WOULD BE
PEOPLE TELL ME YOU ARE HAPPY NOW AND I HOPE THIS IS TRUE
I THINK THAT I CAN'T POSSIBLY SHED ANOTHER TEAR
BUT THEY KEEP COMING AND COMING BECAUSE I KNOW
YOU COULDN'T BE LOVED MORE THAN YOU WERE LOVED HERE
I HEARD OF THIS PLACE CALLED "RAINBOW BRIDGE"
IT IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE YOU CAN FIND
THE DAYS ARE LONG, SUNNY AND WARM AND THERE ARE NO WORRIES
YOU'LL BE THE ONE FEELING SAD FOR ME BEING LEFT BEHIND
WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH AND OH YOU WILL BE MISSED
WHEN I THINK OF YOU NOW, IT WILL BE IN A WARM SUNNY PLACE
CHASING BUTTERFLYS AND TAKING LONG AFTERNOON NAPS
LAYING ON YOUR BACK WITH THE SUN SHINING ON YOUR FACE
IN LOVING MEMORY OF NALA GIRL
9/6/96 - 10/18/02