Tigerlily

When the time came,
There was no question.
You took us by surprise;
Your eyes, large-pupiled,
Unresponsive to the light.

No more compulsive
Rolling, grooming, pacing.....
No more nipping
At a hand or leg;
You were calm
One morning of your life.

Oh, that we had seen that side
Throughout the years!
But you were always there beneath the turmoil.
Did we reach you?
Did you know us as a place of peace?
I mourn my human frailty, my impatience.

No more confinement now;
The door has opened wide
And there are meadows to be bounded;
Mountain vistas beckoning
To lead you Further Up
And Further In.

When the time came,
There was no question.
Everything is answered;
You are Home.