Absence Does Not Make the Heart Grow Stronger

Hazel Hall

You abandoned me for a vacation
in another state for five long days
while I was relocated with a minder
and forced to share her attention with a dog.
On your return, I rushed to greet my keeper,
wove two figure eights around her ankles,
granted her the luxury of a cuddle,
even purred in sheer duplicity,
then tentatively tiptoed for your greeting
with studied nuzzle, but just for a moment.
When you picked me up, I dug and struggled.
First some retribution must take place.
Hurt is hurt, and you must suffer longer.
Absence does not make the heart grow stronger.

About this poem
Animals have always brought great joy into my life and the lives of those around me. This year several friends were devastated when they lost their pets. I’ve always been interested in sentience and what it means in our relationships with other creatures. This poem arrived when I began to muse on how animals feel when they suffer loss.