leash – Canadian Zen Haiku canadien ISSN 1705-4508

summer haiku d’été – still on her leash = toujours à la laisse

summer haiku d’été – still on her leash = toujours à la laisse

still on her leash,
my Maine Coon’s ghost hovers here – 
leaves whisper her name



toujours à la laisse,
le fantôme da ma Maine Coon  –
paroles des feuilles

Richard Vallance

I miss Argentée terribly. She passed away on March 14 2019. I often cry when I think of her.

Argentée me manque tellement. Elle est morte le l4 mars 2019. Je pleure souvent quand je pense à elle.

I Argentée



I Argentée

I Argentée have lived a hardy life:
a Maine Coon mix, I’ve forded babbling rills,
the freest spirit, who’s never suffered strife!
Why, I have scaled formidable forest hills,
where I’ve run into coons and surly bears
who’ve never phased me in the very least;
I’ve roamed the fields and sounded foxes’ lairs,
so why be so surprised when I am deceased.
Because I pride the space I always crave,
although I was on leash, the leash was loose,
to leave me running free, for being brave,
since as you know I’ve always been so spruce!
For all the bugs I’ve chased and mice I’ve caught
I bid you, fairest friends, to mourn me not.

Richard Vallance

March 29 2019

in memoriam, fairest Argentée, libre esprit (free spirit)
April 15 2003 – March 14 2019

Photos of my lovely and extremely smart Maine Coon mix cat, Argentée,

Photos of my lovely and extremely smart Maine Coon mix cat, Argentée,

throughout her lifetime, 2003-2019. I had to euthanize her on March 14 and it was horrible. All the more so that my sweet tortoiseshell, Daisy, died a natural death on Dec. 28 2018! Argentée was a completely leash-trained cat, who used to go for walks with me for years, and who climbed trees until she was at least 9. She was so smart that unlike most cats, who get stuck in trees when the climb them, she shimmied down trees like a squirrel! Astonishing! She also responded to certain verbal phrases, such as:







Do you wanna go outside? (Trust me, she knew exactly what THAT meant!)
NO
cheese (She loved cheese)





She was by far the smartest cat I have ever known in my life, and was always completely at home on her leash, when we went for walks and when she was in my front yard. Her leash was at least 4 metres long, so she had plenty of room to move around in in my front yard!

And here are her photos, lovely as she was!

PLEASE comment on them!