She didn’t live – Love didn’t survive, 

in spite of all the attention lavished 

after her mother brought her inside,

to save her from – cyclone Amphan.

 

Three days, Minni hovered around

watching one of her kittens from far,

as she had entrusted her to our care 

after she couldn’t save one herself.

 

Minni herself barely six months old –

learned to oblige, lying on her back,

when Love was positioned over her 

to demonstrate, assist her to suckle.

 

Love, lay in the carton shelter all day

without ability to move let alone play –

while Minni licked and squat on her,

sure her baby was safe in our charge.

 

Three days as we watched constantly –

aware of every move – Love squealed,

giving us hope she would soon crawl:

but abruptly –  Love breathed her last.

 

Minni afar – must have heard her cry,

recognising in it Love’s final goodbye –

for she hovered near us, but not Love

who lay lifeless – a week’s life enough.

 

Minni even had a meal, her child dead –

after she waited assessing the situation,

then lay down, away – to come to terms 

with the emotional impact, of  her loss. 

 

With our persistence Minni drew near –

but only to feebly lick, meow goodbye

to Love – she’d braved from the floods,

but now couldn’t dare look at – lifeless.

 

There must be nothing heart-rending 

than a mother who can’t even mourn  

the death of newborns –  even foetus:

saving it from this treacherous world. 

 

PS: This poem has reference to the previous post…

#Love #birth #life #death #catlovers #kittens #motherhood #cycloneamphan #poetry #literaryfiction #heart-rending #isolation #coronaviruslockdown #Kolkata #treachery #Kolkatadiaries

 

On the 18th of August 2020, while we’re still dealing with the Coronavirus lockdown, Minni gave birth again to the three below… biggest to the right is Tinni’s 3 month old kitten Chotu. Who Tinni left in our home a month ago and never returned. Chotu has since then adopted Minni as his mother and us as his family.