The Story of my Blog Title

Quilt of Dragonflies- My blog is named that for a reason.I am lucky enough to own a genuine Quilt of Dragonflies, which I am sure brings me good dreams when I sleep beneath it. It was given to me by a friend of my mother's, who handmade the entire thing. Color meets pattern in this fantastic piece of artwork which sits on my bed. Brilliant shades of purple, blue, and green intersperse with tie dye dragonflies. I will not hesitate to call it my inspiration.







Monday, March 28, 2011

Otis

Otis

“The black one’s name is Otis”
His furry face pressed against the bars
Tiny brain pondering the new comers to his home
Love at first sight
Large black pools of eyes
Stare up at me
His new owner

First Otis is resentful
Biting the hand that feeds him
Hiding in the plastic igloo
Among the shavings of his cage
Slowly, ever so slowly
His feelings change

Otis melts my heart
I bribe him
Treat him to bits of carrot
His mop of golden specked ebony hair
Bouncing around the cage he has come to know so well
His joyful squeaking fills the room

Otis the prankster
Jumping all over his roommate Oliver
Stealing the vegetables
Cramming the dry food into his cheeks
I watch with smiling eyes and laughing mouth

Celery, lettuce
Carrots, hay, dry food
Water from the bottle hanging from his cage
I soon learn his favorites

Otis brings joy to the faces of those who meet him
“Crazy Pig,” “Mop,” “Wig Pig”
People laugh and exclaim over him
The Peruvian, the walking wig
All of the visitors to my house fall for him hard
As do I

When I walk into the room
With tears sitting on my cheeks
Otis is there
Purring and chirping
He runs from my hand when I try to take him out
Yet when he is sitting safe on my lap
Cuddling
He is truly happy
And I am always happy to make him happy

Months later
We have moved
He has a new place in the house
But the same in my heart
Every day he fills me with joy
Every day is special because of him

Later still
He stops eating
When I notice
I burst into
Waves of tears
Worry consumes me
I spend a day of agony
Every second
Making my guinea pig feel
As happy as possible
I stay by his side, not moving

Then I take him outside in the afternoon
The sun warms him
His fur ripples in the breeze
I know he is content
So full of life
Scurrying around on the dry grass
Left from winter
I hold him close

He is gone
This amazing animal
That has touched my life
And so many others
Yet he is still here
In everything I do
I vow to myself
At the end of the day
To remember him, to cherish him and live on
In his memory
And that is how
I find the heart
To say good bye
I will always love you, Otis

3 comments:

  1. Claire,

    This poem is so beautiful. Thank you so much for taking care of my dear Otis, he was always my baby. And you described him perfectly to the T. My stomach sank when I heard the bad news, but I know he is up in heaven, stealing carrots from all the animals who have passed. My little man. I am sure you brought so much love into his life! Give Oliver a big kiss for me.

    Samantha Koolen

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  2. Claire- My name is George, I took care of Otis and Oliver with Samantha before they arrived in your loving home. I am heartbroken to hear about Otis but I know he could not have had a more full and happy life, especially when I hear about the time he spent with you guys. Your poem is a beautiful and moving tribute to an adorable, special creature who was born with love in his heart. He will be missed. Thank you for taking such good care of him. Oh and please give Oliver a kiss from me as well!

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  3. hey sweetie, I'm so sorry about your loss. I know how much you loved Otis. Your beautiful poem shows that even if he's gone, he'll always live on inside of you. You might have lost him as a friend to play with but your love will live on. I hope you can hold on to this thought, find strength in your delightful memories, and even, in the midst of all your sadness, smile when you think of unforgetable moments you shared with him.
    Deep hugs from Germany!
    Yours Kathi

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