Late Ripeness - Czeslaw Milosz

Not soon, as late as the approach of my ninetieth year,
I felt a door opening in me and I entered
the clarity of early morning.
One after another my former lives
were departing,like ships, together with their sorrow.

And the countries, cities, gardens,
the bays of seasassigned to my brush came closer,
ready now to be described better than they were before.
I was not separated from people,grief and pity joined us.

We forget - I kept saying - that we are all children of the King.
For where we come from there is no division
into Yes and No, into is, was, and will be.
We were miserable, we used no more than a
hundredth partof the gift we received for our long journey.

Moments from yesterday and from centuries ago -
a sword blow, the painting of eyelashes before a mirror
of polished metal, a lethal musket shot, a caravel
staving its hull against a reef - they dwell in us,
waiting for a fulfillment.

I knew, always, that I would be a worker
in the vineyard,as are all men and women
living at the same time,
whether they are aware of it or not.

Tribute to Libby

1991 - 2007

How do you say goodbye to a cat who has been part of your family?

I came back from Wisconsin and Libby was laying on the landing to the basement and I knew we would have to say good-bye soon. The vets tried to help her, but she was weak and it wouldn't have been fair to her to keep trying so I let her leave this world gently in my arms with Michael and Melinda beside me.

Libby came into our lives in 1991 at 10 months old, taped inside a box which had been thrown in the dumpster behind a store. Thrown away to be crushed by the trash compactor. Whoever put here there should burn slowly....

I brought her home and she became part of our family, subserviant to Shady and playmate to Honey, our great big lab who was cowed by thelittle orange cat. How many times they laid together on the living room floor, both on their backs and within inches of each other, enjoying the air from the fan or sharing a patch of sunlight, Libby licking Honey's ears and Honey quietly praying she wouldn't get swiped. Gotta love the cat!

Libby was very particular about her catnip. I bought four kinds of catnip for my garden but she would only eat one plant (right to the ground). Her favorite spot was on the 'cat perch'...an old ladder and platform for the kids swing set. She spent so many summer days laying in the sun....I will miss her.

When she was young, her favorite haunt at night was with Michael, sleeping at his feet when he was younger or jumping up to sleep in his loft bed when he was at school. The last few years, she has shared the pillows between Bob and me as if she owned the bed and was letting us share it.

Libby's favorite spot was Melinda's lap, especially when she was trying to crochet. She was so quiet that sometimes she would be on your lap and fast asleep before you realized she was there.

We will miss you, Libster. Rest in peace, little friend.