Lacy trails of light shroud her in golden fog,

Feline figure illuminated, nature’s sunny spotlight dancing softly over her

Tiny paws stretch curiously along the shadow cast by the open window.

Fur rising and falling with slow wave ripples of breath,

Ears oscillate on their axes, detecting birdsong.

There is a profound connection I have to her;

Resonating serenity, shared in a moment by animal and human soul,

Droplets of peace like nectar from the windowsill

Seep into the room to lull us both with ambrosia and sunshine.

 

Having a new pet can create threaded connections,

Affection webbed between animal and human

Something lasting, dipped into the memory of the mind.

One pet becomes a new volunteer job

Working at the Peoria Zoo this year, these connections flower for me.

One by one, they form a field of beauty:

A giraffe met my eyes once, and it almost seemed like she was smiling at me

When I reached to give her a cluster of delicious leaves.

A skink closes his eyes in contentment

If you pet the top of his head in just the right way.

Children squeal when they see the meerkats chase each other around their habitat.

 

With this job at the zoo,

I can share the petals of these bonds with everyone there.

I encourage them to try, too,

To be open to what the animal world might hold for them,

So they can form their own field of connections

Because it just might start for them like it did for me,

With one cat basking in the sunlight.