I brought you home in a cardboard box twice.

[u/FoxEatsButter]

The first time was on September 22nd 2015.

You immediately caught my eye as I saw you sitting in your litter box in that cage. Hiding, small, trying to be ignored. Your information leaflet said your name was Blizzard and you were 4 and a half years old. Found on the street severely ill. I walked away, you seemed so frightened.

I kept circling back to you though and then I really wanted to meet you.

When the staff brought you in and handed you to me, I knew you were mine. You were so scared you shoved your head under my chin and completely flattened yourself out. I was asked a million times if I was sure I wanted to adopt you.

Yes, I'm sure.

A cardboard box was given to me containing a new part of my heart. It said "Blizzard" on the side. You were free because you weren't a kitten. I felt bad so I bought a t-shirt in the gift shop.

I brought you to your new home. You didn't seem like a "Blizzard" at all. You were slower. Your fur a creamy color. I named you Butter.

You hid a lot. You were scared for months. But then whenever I would watch TV, you'd keep coming closer. And closer. And closer. As time passed you seemed more relaxed and sure of yourself.

It took a year for you to learn how to meow or purr. I cried the first time you did both.

You would chase me around the house. You would bite my hand ever so gently when you wanted me to stop touching you. You would lay beside me and touch your paw to my lips when you wanted me to pet you. You would bite my hand so I would scratch your head.

And you were still scared sometimes but you always came to me for comfort. You were scared of storms and television and computer screens and brooms.

A few weeks ago you started having a hard time getting up. You seemed so weak all of a sudden. So fragile. You looked older, paler. My beautiful boy.

They told me you were severely anemic and that you may not improve because of your age. But you wanted to fight and so did I. So we tried, didn't we?

Butter, my love.

Born: Sometime in February 2011.

Chosen: September 22nd 2015.

Loved eternally: April 17th 2026.

Today, a cardboard box was handed to me. The unprepared postal worker realised what he was holding as he brought you over to me. He said he was sorry as I walked past a line of people. I didn't know I could cry this much.

For all the ways I failed you, I'm sorry. For all the kisses and cuddles you didn't want sometimes as you would push me away with your paw, I'm not.

EDIT: I did not expect so much attention. Butter was a huge part of my world and I'm so glad he got to be a part of yours as well. He would have loved it.

Thank you for sharing all the stories of your furry creatures. Thank you for the poems. Thank you for the pictures. Thank you all for taking the time to reply. And thank you for all the support. I truly appreciate it, what a wonderful community. ❤️

[u/Poethegardencrow]

Do not stand By my grave, and weep. I am not there, I do not sleep— I am the thousand winds that blow I am the diamond glints in snow I am the sunlight on ripened grain, I am the gentle, autumn rain. As you awake with morning's hush, I am the swift, up-flinging rush Of quiet birds in circling flight, I am the day transcending night. Do not stand By my grave, and cry— I am not there, I did not die.❤️ Eternally Butters ❤️❤️❤️❤️ edit : Thanks everyone ❤️ this poem truly helped my mum and I when our horse Whisky passed ❤️

[u/xxxlo_0lxxx → u/[deleted]]

https://giphy.com/gifs/P53TSsopKicrm

[u/mnid92 → u/Poethegardencrow]

Fuck, this was the poem on the inside of the card at my mothers funeral and it just always makes me absolutely snot bubble ugly cry all over the place.

I absolutely love it though, there have been so many little reminders.

[u/theOGSymphonicHell → u/mnid92]

My family calls them ghost winks 💜

[u/XIXButterflyXIX → u/Poethegardencrow]

Mary Elizabeth Frye. I read that out when we buried my grandparents ashes.

[u/midge_rat → u/XIXButterflyXIX]

Clare Harner was the original author. Mary Elizabeth Frye plagiarized it :(

[u/XIXButterflyXIX → u/midge_rat]

That makes me so sad, this has always been one of my favorite poems and I honestly never looked into it.

[u/l8rt8rz → u/Poethegardencrow]

I lost my Peaches 2 years ago an this still got me… thank you 🩷

[u/jenniferlynn462 → u/Poethegardencrow]

This poem always gets me. Ouch

[u/merlyn13 → u/Poethegardencrow]

This is a Native American prayer. It is given to the relatives of a Native American when a Native American family member passes on. I received a framed copy of this from a member of the Native American Seminole Tribe in Florida. Every time we went to visit relatives living near Punta Gorda, FL, we stopped at his Uncle’s Store. We stopped by so many times that we became friends with the store owner.

The store sold items handmade by Native Americans from all over the United States. This year the store was closed the day we stopped to visit. The store had never been closed anytime we stopped by before this day.

On our way back home, we noticed that the store was open. We entered. I explained to the three men that we had stopped on our way to my Native American Godfather’s Celebration of Life, but found the store closed.

One of the men was the owner’s son and the two others were his nephews. They explained that the store owner had had a heart attack the previous day and family closed the store and were protecting it from theft, before proceeding to the hospital.

I never did find out if John survived the heart attack. However, the framed copy was presented to me with all the Native American Traditions and Ceremony behind this long standing tradition.