Kay701
Junior Guinea Pig
In addition to my tribute from Tuesday, I wanted to share a poem I wrote about Waffle. It's called Rainbows 
Like sunshine streaming down through clouds
You broke upon our lives
and grew us a rainbow
I remember that first hour you curled yourself up as small as you could
hiding in a tiny sack, face away from me
and as I waited, slowly, you turned to look at me
I think I fell in love with you at that moment
I don't know how you knew
but you stayed with us until we found ourselves
until we were strong enough to live without you
and in some ways that hurts even more
I wanted my life to end with you
I don't want to be okay without you
over months you unfurled your heart
and opened mine
taught me that love exists in many forms
that size or species cannot put a limit on personality
and what it means to truly live each day
with hope and happiness
when I think of you, I think of bravery
overcoming an infancy of fear and neglect
simple patience and kindness allowed you to transform
until you saw the whole world as a place of possibility
your curious sniffs and bounding leaps
exploring everything with uncontained excitement
you demanded love because you knew how to give it
with loud purs, you would tremble with content
when anyone touched you with gentleness
or offered you veggies
every day, without fail
and you would follow everything I did
so helpful
sitting in the dustpan, circling my hands
following us to the bathroom or watching us cook
climbing up them doing sit ups on the floor
every single thing I do reminds me of you
and it makes me smile but it hurts, it hurts
because you're not there
and there is a hole in my heart when I look over
and she's all alone
she needs you too, your sister
to draw her out, annoy her into playfulness
challenge her to explore, to open her heart to others
she's lost without you, too
in the darkest days you were our ray of sunshine
I laughed every day you were with me
you did the most ridiculous things
you kept me alive
because I wanted to get up, to see you
to make you a better and better life
you opened up secrets I'd locked away
just by being there, being yourself
I miss everything about you
the way the black and white strands intermingled on the top of your head
the single dark spot on your little pink ear
the constant background noise of wheeks, chuts, rustling bags
the happy munching underneath a pile of hay
your ridiculous cleft lip open against the floor
as you slept in total, contented abandonment
the joyful leap into my lap
or feeling you weave through my legs against my skin
snuffling up at me
you were so thin in those last days
I hated the feel of your bones under my hand
but you still purred, and ran
and tried so hard to lift your heavy head up
in a popcorn of excitement
the last time I held you you reached up my chest
as if to say goodbye
handing you over was the hardest thing I've ever done
but when they brought you back, you were so peaceful
curled up in your little sack
full of happy memories
and I'm glad we let you go before you lost your sparkle
that you died with a piece of pepper in your mouth
believing you'd wake up, and come home again
like every other time
it was all so sudden
when all was said and done, we had less than three brief years with you
but they were the most important years of our lives
you were my world, my Waffly
and I want to believe that you're somewhere now
that you know how much we love you
that you'll always be a part of us
I still see you everywhere
and I can't think about you without smiling through the tears
you were so wonderful
and even from above
you're still sending us a rainbow
Like sunshine streaming down through clouds
You broke upon our lives
and grew us a rainbow
I remember that first hour you curled yourself up as small as you could
hiding in a tiny sack, face away from me
and as I waited, slowly, you turned to look at me
I think I fell in love with you at that moment
I don't know how you knew
but you stayed with us until we found ourselves
until we were strong enough to live without you
and in some ways that hurts even more
I wanted my life to end with you
I don't want to be okay without you
over months you unfurled your heart
and opened mine
taught me that love exists in many forms
that size or species cannot put a limit on personality
and what it means to truly live each day
with hope and happiness
when I think of you, I think of bravery
overcoming an infancy of fear and neglect
simple patience and kindness allowed you to transform
until you saw the whole world as a place of possibility
your curious sniffs and bounding leaps
exploring everything with uncontained excitement
you demanded love because you knew how to give it
with loud purs, you would tremble with content
when anyone touched you with gentleness
or offered you veggies
every day, without fail
and you would follow everything I did
so helpful
sitting in the dustpan, circling my hands
following us to the bathroom or watching us cook
climbing up them doing sit ups on the floor
every single thing I do reminds me of you
and it makes me smile but it hurts, it hurts
because you're not there
and there is a hole in my heart when I look over
and she's all alone
she needs you too, your sister
to draw her out, annoy her into playfulness
challenge her to explore, to open her heart to others
she's lost without you, too
in the darkest days you were our ray of sunshine
I laughed every day you were with me
you did the most ridiculous things
you kept me alive
because I wanted to get up, to see you
to make you a better and better life
you opened up secrets I'd locked away
just by being there, being yourself
I miss everything about you
the way the black and white strands intermingled on the top of your head
the single dark spot on your little pink ear
the constant background noise of wheeks, chuts, rustling bags
the happy munching underneath a pile of hay
your ridiculous cleft lip open against the floor
as you slept in total, contented abandonment
the joyful leap into my lap
or feeling you weave through my legs against my skin
snuffling up at me
you were so thin in those last days
I hated the feel of your bones under my hand
but you still purred, and ran
and tried so hard to lift your heavy head up
in a popcorn of excitement
the last time I held you you reached up my chest
as if to say goodbye
handing you over was the hardest thing I've ever done
but when they brought you back, you were so peaceful
curled up in your little sack
full of happy memories
and I'm glad we let you go before you lost your sparkle
that you died with a piece of pepper in your mouth
believing you'd wake up, and come home again
like every other time
it was all so sudden
when all was said and done, we had less than three brief years with you
but they were the most important years of our lives
you were my world, my Waffly
and I want to believe that you're somewhere now
that you know how much we love you
that you'll always be a part of us
I still see you everywhere
and I can't think about you without smiling through the tears
you were so wonderful
and even from above
you're still sending us a rainbow
x
very moving. Snuggle softly over the bridge lovely Waffle 
