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A Sermon for the Absent

Wonderland Challenge Day 21

By Diane FosterPublished 8 months ago 1 min read
Image created by author in Midjourney

After losing my pet rabbit as a child, I really missed him! A creature so small and quiet, yet his presence filled my life in a way I never fully realised until he was gone...

*************************************************

I stood at the edge,

voice cracking with the weight of salvation,

and cried out to the wind about the softness of whiskers

and how even gentleness deserves resurrection.

He was a rabbit, yes,

but he was also a small god of quiet things,

his thump on the ground like a sacred rhythm

that once called the earth to bloom.

Now the clover wilts in the hush he left behind,

and I shout into the silence

as if fury could undo what death has claimed,

as if my belief alone could stitch the warmth back into his fur.

No one listens, not the leaves or the sky or the ghosts of other small creatures

who know too well the price of being tender in a world built for thunder.

But I keep preaching,

because his absence is a sermon that never ends.

****************************************************

heartbreak

About the Creator

Diane Foster

I’m a professional writer, proofreader, and all-round online entrepreneur, UK. I’m married to a rock star who had his long-awaited liver transplant in August 2025.

When not working, you’ll find me with a glass of wine, immersed in poetry.

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  • Randy Wayne Jellison-Knock8 months ago

    We had a professor in seminary from Korea who made the mistake of commenting to his students at the beginning of class back in the mid-80s that heaven is only for human beings, not animals. Yeah, unless he was planning on talking about "If our beloved pets aren't there, it ain't heaven!" we never got around to what he was planning on talking about that day.

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