MY PURRR-FECT FRIEND (a poem for Clancy)

You know what? I feel really ripped off.For about fifty years now,I've had no real love affair-with an animal (except for a rather attractive sheep I once met whilst on holiday in Wales-or was it New Zealand ?) Sure I have dogs,cats and birds and all that---but not since I was five or six can I say I've really loved an animal.
We had lots of rabbits when I was a lad--and I used to rush home from school each day and sit in the rabbit pen with them all.There was this special blue rabbit,it was different to all the rest--and I loved that rabbit.Every day my rabbit (I can't remember if it had a name)would come up and eat from my hands--I'd push all the other rabbits away,and just spend time with my blue rabbit. One day I came home and went to the run--and my rabbit wasn't there,come to think of it,not many of the other rabbits were there either. Dad was very sad that my rabbit wasn't there--infact so sad,that he gave me "Big Ben" who was the biggest rabbit he had.
I Didn't find out till some time later that dad was infact the breeder of rabbits for the local butchers.Well,at the age of five or six, parents tend not to tell you those things don't they? So my pet blue rabbit ended up on some buggers plate with sage and onion stuffing up its backside.I never got over it.(children,if your dad happens to be the local rabbit breeder for butchers,and you fall in love with one of his rabbits,for goodness sake,tell him)
Dad died when I was about twelve,and in early married life,we lost two babies-so the loss of a pet,after losing family--didn't ever seem that big to me.I love animals,I'd never see them hurt--but seeing people so sad and upset at the loss of one,is something I've not been able to relate to.
We have an old dog Bess,a mongrel-that must be anything between 15 and 18 years of age.She will not die.We have a younger dog LuLu that certainly will die very shortly if she keeps digging my lawn up.
A internet friend of mine,Clancy,had his cat Tony (no relation) die this past week.I feel for Clancy as I feel for all who lose something dear to them.I write this poem for Clancy,trying very hard to put myself in the position of having such a loss.

MY PURRR-FECT FRIEND

YOUR DISH,IT STILL SITS BY THE DOOR,
AND,YOUR BLANKET LIES OVER THE CHAIR.
IT SEEMS SO STRANGE AFTER ALL THESE YEARS
TO WAKE,AND YOU'RE NOT THERE.
SEVENTEEN YEARS IS A LONG,LONG TIME,
SO MY TEARS,I WON'T DEFEND.
AS I CRY,MY HEART IS BROKEN
FOR YOU,WERE MY PURRR-FECT FRIEND.

"THERE YOU GO BOY,
SHHHH,YOU'RE FREE AT LAST.
NO MORE PAIN AND NEEDLES
ALL THOSE,ARE IN THE PAST.
THERE YOU ARE,IN PUSSY HEAVEN,
NOW AS AN ANGEL YOU ASCEND,
BUT TONY,IN YOUR TIME ON EARTH
YOU WERE,MY PURRR-FECT FRIEND."

IN MY MEMORIES OF YOU,AS A KITTEN
I GOT CRANKY,I MUST CONFESS.
WHEN AT TIMES, I'D COME HOME
TO FIND A SMELLY MESS.
BUT THE YEARS,THEY FLEW,YOU GREW OLD TOO FAST
NOW,AS A STAR I SEE YOU GLITTER.
AND THINK OF YOU,WHEN YOU NEED TO GO
IN CLOUDS,OF KITTY-LITTER.

AND,I GUESS YOU FOUND ME SPECIAL TOO,
AS YOU SPENT YOUR LIFE ,WITH MINE
KNOWING I COULD GIVE BUT ONE
WHEN YOU GAVE ME ALL NINE.
SO THANKYOU FOR "THE GIFT OF YEARS"
AND OF THE LOVE I COULD DEPEND.
ALWAYS,YOU WERE THERE FOR ME,
FOR YOU WERE,MY PURRR-FECT FRIEND.

THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A PLACE FOR YOU
LAPPING AT MY HEART.
A FUR-BALL IN MY MEMORY
THAT NEVER WILL DEPART.
SO,ITS WITH CRYING EYES,AND SAD GOODBYE'S
FOR MY HEART,I NOW MUST MEND.
BUT,I'VE LOVED YOU,AND I'LL MISS YOU,
FOR YOU WERE,MY PURRR-FECT FRIEND.