Meditation...

There are ten steps down.
The clothing worn has been discarded...
and I wear a comfortable white summer top
and a pair of jean shorts
rolled up at the cuff.
The clothing I wore so often when I sat with Shoo.

Shoes left behind, I feel the coolness of the stone steps.
The scent of apple blossoms fills the air that I breathe.

Coming to the bottom of the stairway I find myself at a door...
the door that leads to the back porch step where
Shoo and I sat together.

I step out the door and sit down
on the step...
the little plastic bag of rabbit treats now in my hand.
I note all the familiar surroundings.
The picnic table...
with apple blossoms scattered atop...
blown from the early evening breeze.
The apple tree just as I remember it...
the flower bed to my right
yielding the tall grasses...

(How Shoo loved to lie in the grass!)

And Shoo! Shoo by the apple tree
where he always waited for me!

He sees me on the step and comes running up...
just as he did during that wonderful...
year of our friendship.

He comes to sit in the grass next to the porch step..
next to the flower bed with the tall grasses...

next to me...

Together again!
Together in time!
Together forever in time!

Once again I tell him our stories.
The stories of the rabbits of

"Watership Down".

I tell him of
Hazel
and of Big Wig
and of Fiver.

Once again I sing our song to him...
the song I dubbed "Shoo's Song"
that one steamy day in July...

"Bright Eyes"

from the movie "Watership Down".

I tell him
of my hopes...
my fears...
 and of my sorrows.

I tell him how much I
miss him.

I tell him how I look forward every day...
to seeing him again.

He sits as he always did...
listening to me. Ears up.
I rise from the step and walk out into the yard.
Evening has come and
stars begin to light the sky.
I lie down in the grass...
still warm from the day.
Shoo comes to lay beside me...
as he always did.

I stay with him until morning.
That night long ago when he left for the Bridge
I had not stayed with him.
Now...I do...
and I tell him I wish I would have stayed with him that night

I tell him about the website in his honor
"My Forever Friend".

I tell him that in my heart I am
always with him...
and will be...
until I see him again at the Rainbow Bridge.

We share the last bites of apple and
I rise from the grass.
I look at my forever friend.
Bits of star light seem to dance on his coat.

I tell him I will see him again...
though for now...only with my mind.

"I saw you again today my love,
as you gently crossed my mind.
I saw you with my heart
and was with you one more time."

Reluctantly I go to the step...
which leads to the door.

I look back at my friend.
He is by the apple tree...already
waiting for me.

I tell him again that I love him.

I begin to ascend the steps...
ready to meet the day.

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