Rori by Jennifer O’Connell

I will never forget that sound you make:
Whuffle
For it is ingrained in my heart as the sound of happiness.

You crawled into my lap,
90 pounds of
warm
whuffling
love
with a heartbeat to match -
a reminder of the beauty of life.
We were told you had 3 days
3 days before that heartbeat stopped.
It has been 54
And still counting…
Your life is a miracle,
A testament to the power of love.

There are some things that will never fade
The mark on the wall from
Golden hair against it after a swim
The same golden hair that decorates
Every item of black I own.
A lake in the Adirondacks
A hike in snowy woods in the dead of winter
The expressiveness of your eyebrows
The way your body fits so perfectly
To warm my feet on a frosty morning

But above all,
My heart will keep your
Whuffle
A gentle reminder
To appreciate every
H e a r t b e a t
To render others happy
And to live passionately

This

Miraculous

Life.