Readings

Original poems

The Patch of Sun

At the same hour
the light reaches the floor
and makes the warm place
you always found before I noticed it.

My eyes still go there first.
The room has kept the sunlight
and lost the shape
that made it familiar.

Chosen Nearness

You did not need
to follow every step.
Sometimes love was simply
you choosing the same room,
settling close enough
that I could hear you breathe.

I miss being selected
in that quiet way.

Night House

There are sounds
a house makes only with a cat:
a landing, a small jump,
a door considered after midnight.

Now the dark is too still.
I listen for a life
that taught silence
to have footsteps.

Collection lens

What this poem collection is trying to hold

This collection centers quiet companionship, chosen closeness, household territories, familiar sounds and the absence of small routines. That focus is deliberate: relationship-specific verse should do more than replace “mother” with “father” or “dog” with “cat.” The imagery, emotional distance and details should change with the relationship itself.

Best suited to

a pet memorial, photo book or private note.

Watch for

Stereotypes about cats being distant when the actual bond was different.

Personalization test

Before using a poem publicly, identify one image or line that matches the person you are remembering. If none of the imagery fits, choose another poem rather than forcing the relationship label to do all the work.

Use it well

Prepare this collection for its actual setting

  • Read it aloud before choosing it; spoken rhythm matters at a service.
  • For private use, adapt a line with a name, place, habit, or detail that belongs to the person.
  • If a venue, celebrant, publication, or livestream needs text in advance, send the final version early.
  • Do not attach a famous author’s name to an anonymous or rewritten poem.