Hastings Was Her Name

Hastings Was Her Name

I was there the day she was born,
Her mom let me witness the birth.
I'm the one she was held by,
Her very first day on this earth.

We named our kitten Hastings,
It was the name of our little town.
We thought her color at first was black.
But it actually was dark, dark brown.

She tumbled and played, as kittens do,
But never got lazy and fat.
Over the span of a couple years
She became a full-grown cat.

We lived way out in the country
On a hundred acres or so.
Whenever we wanted to walk in the woods,
She always wanted to go.

So off we went, Mom and Dad,
The kids, the cat, and the dog.
She'd run ahead to have some fun,
Then wait for us on a log.

Over the years, the kids left home,
But the cat was always there.
Catching mice, sleeping on the bed,
Getting cockle burrs in her hair.

She stayed around for seventeen years.
She was the absolute, perfect pet,
But all those years took their toll;
It was time to go to the Vet.

I was there the day she was born
Her mom let me witness her birth.
I was the one who held her,
Her last day here on this earth.