It’s
been some years since we observed a variation of Sukkot, the holiday where Jews
are advised to dwell in huts as our ancestors did while on the way to the
promised land.
Contemplating
this year’s upcoming Sukkot and whether I have the energy to make a Sukkah
again, I happened to come upon an old photo. It reminded me of a feline family
friend who has left this earth long ago. Clyde was not our cat. He lived next
door. When his family moved a mile away up the hill, he kept returning. Not to
his old home, but to ours.
We
even found him sleeping in our makeshift Sukkah. We always returned him to his
new home, and he continued to make his way back to ours.
One
of these trips may have cost him his life. He was found dead, possibly injured.
I tried to answer one of my kids as to whether cats have souls and go to heaven
by writing about him:
CLYDE HILL
©By Mirka M. G. Breen
Clyde
is climbing a great green hill.
The
grass under his paws is as soft as fur. It’s tingly wet, and smells of catnip.
The
light is soft blue, no sun yet.
Clyde passes
every mouse he ever ate. The mice wave at him.
Birds he had watched,
fly over and wink.
Squirrels he had
chased puff their tails
No time to think.
Up Clyde must go.
Yes, this is so.
Clyde still
climbs the green hill.
The grass is
deeper, the hill steeper. But the higher he climbs, the lighter his steps.
He’s not hot;
he’s not cold. Light’s turning gold.
A purple
butterfly flutters before him. Clyde’s trotting, then pouncing.
One butterfly
soars, and then a hundred more-
In every color,
with spots and dots
In a ribbon-dance
the butterflies flow.
Yes, this is so.
Clyde is bounding
up the glistening green.
When the moss
grows dark, a cloud heavy with steel gray covers the light.
Clyde slows. What
to do? He squints, then pulls through.
A line of pure
silver is guiding him on. The cloud turns to vapor.
The blue of the
air, gentle light everywhere-
Give power from
nose to tail.
Clyde faces
toward the glow.
Yes, this is so.
Clyde climbs some
more, the hill, green as hope.
The air caressing
his ears with gentle fluffing strokes. Cat music is sounding.
His mother and
father are mewing above
Clyde turns his
head back one last time.
The people he loves look at him with wet eyes:
they are wise.
Balls of yarn
left below, adventures above.
Clyde has to go
We think this is
so.
Sukkot
this year falls on September 29-October 6
