Bluejay

I saw a blue jay today and thought of you.

Stella and I were walking one of your favorite routes to the cemetery.

We were at the last house before the entrance, you know the one. In the front yard, there is an old oak tree stump that now serves as a bird feeder for squirrels and a few birds.

Stella saw you first.

A bright blue flame between two well-fed black squirrels.

I smiled and thought of you.

You finally made it.

All those years of chasing squirrels, and now you get to hang out and snack with them.

I saw a blue jay today and thought of you.

I smiled, and Stelle pulled me along. She led me into the cemetery, and of course, we paused at your favorite trash can.

While Stella sniffed, catching up on all the neighborhood gossip, I heard you squawk.

I looked up and saw you swooping down and landing on a tombstone from the late 1800’s.

I smiled and thought of you.

Stella, now leash-free within the confines of the fenced-in cemetery, ran ahead of me. I follow her deeper into the grounds of resting souls.

I saw a blue jay today and thought of you.

As we walked, you flew nearby. Perched on the apple tree you used to frequent for bathroom breaks.

We continued walking and stopped at our usual water faucet in the shade. It’s funny, Stella never drinks from this spigot, as it was always you who loved how forceful the water came rushing out. I still turn it on for a few seconds.

I smiled and thought of you.

I looked up, and there you were yet again. Landing a few feet away, on a moss-covered grave.

I saw a blue jay today and thought of you.

At this point in our walk, I began to cry. I wept out loud because the loss of you is just as raw and painful today as it was the day you left us.

I saw a blue jay today and thought of you.

Stella led me down a different path, one you had never been keen to walk down. And this is when I knew it was you flying above our heads. I looked up and saw you flying from tree to tree, following us.

You keep your distance, flying far enough away so I can’t reach you, but so you can keep a close eye on me.

I saw a blue jay today and thought of you.

My sweet Blue Heeler, Sajar Ramon, loved his walks with his sister Stella, chasing squirrels, and, above all else, his human family.