A pear-sized puffball

Found in a pipe

Green eyes, pink nose,

Tabby stripe

Barn cat rescue

From barn cat strife

We took you away 

And we gave you a life

A cozy bed

And a keeper named Ella

The life of Riley

You were one lucky fella

Tail bent in the door

By that hard-slamming Pete

You recovered your senses

But perhaps, not complete

A skittish, wild streak

Always near to attacking

Your feral bloodlust

Was seldom found lacking

Yet when not on a spree

You were loving and nudging

Kisses and headbutts

You gave without grudging

A breast of white ermine

Like monarchs of old

Your vain regal bearing

Your heart of pure gold

Ambience, atmosphere

Gaslight sphinx

Our chummy companion 

For porch night drinks

You were king of the porch

And not just our own

You’d look down on your realm

As if perched on a throne

The critters below

Would all cower and quake

At the piles of bones

That were left in your wake

Yet still…

The friendliest fur friend

a man’s ever had

A catastrophic complexity

of good cat and bad

You’d nuzzle and purr

Like a well-tuned motor

Then dismember a rabbit

As if caught in a rotor

Two crusty curmudgeons

We’d lounge side by side

I was your biter biscuit

You were my pride

And in your old age

Though still free with the kisses

Came a haze in your eyes

And litter box misses

With your steps not so certain

Your leap not so high

Now a shake in your saunter

And a trill in your cry

We grew old together

But I’ll remember you young

Your sideways bounce

And your sandpaper tongue

Your circular sleep

Your 3:00 AM hacking

Now the foot of our bed

Will forever be lacking 

I loved that bad kitty

His faults and his flaws

His black tiger stripes

And his four snowy paws

I loved that good kitty

With all of my heart

And my days will be darker

Now that we are apart

A rainbow bridge crossing?

Don’t make me laugh

You don’t punch that ticket

biting bunnies in half

But wherever I end up

I hope he is there

Waiting and napping

Till more good times we share

I’ll lay on my back

In those heavenly halls

And he’ll lie on my belly

Then stand on my balls

Just like we did nightly

Down here on the couch

But without all the bloodshed

And without all the ouch

So farewell my sweet Nigel

Godspeed you along

Until reunited

I will try to be strong

And when I see pretty birdies

With all of their parts

And when I see baby rabbits

Without open hearts

I will tell them be grateful

They came after your reign

‘cause Great Nigel Tyrannus

Would have eaten your brain