I went for a walk last night.
Within that time,
I ran into this cream colored cat.
It seemingly came out of nowhere on the street,
Almost akin to being celestial,
With its eyes glowing in the light of the street lamps.
I noticed a smile pulled on the edges of my lips
And it felt like the first time I had smiled
In so very, very long…
I remember kneeling down on the asphalt, small pebbles digging into the skin,
My palm pressing against its head between its ears.
A subdued meow and a purr filled the darkness.
They followed along beside me as his tail flicked;
A new friend made in an instant.
But I could feel my heart grow heavy in the stretching silence of my walk.
My eyes unconsciously began to glance at familiar places;
Memories flickered into my vision in black and white
Along with the muffled sound of white noise.
Smiling faces soon appeared alongside dim laughter.
Bit by bit, the hollow cave in my chest grew monstrous and deeper.
My hand reflexively gripped my shirt just above my aching heart.
Another gentle meow and the brush of fur against my leg snapped me back to reality.
The heart inside my rib cage was pounding; the rush of blood loud in my ears,
Breathing ragged and heavy, and was only interrupted by a shaking sigh.
Only then did I notice my eyes stinging with tears.
After one more trembling inhale, I said my final farewell to the feline.
However, I found myself almost immediately looking back
To see it had disappeared in practically an instant.
Perhaps it was my imagination,
But maybe,
Just maybe,
It really was a celestial being after all.