Last month, I started writing posts from prompts in the Writing Down the Bones Card Deck by Natalie Goldberg, shared with me by my friend Barb Edler of Iowa. I’m continuing this month so that I can experience the entire deck of prompts. Today, the post asks about the secret life or hidden dialogue of our pets or plants – or whatever lives in our homes.
Cat and Mouse Games
I think our garage ghost’s name is Felix
born in Waycross, Georgia in 1944
died in Brunswick, Georgia in 2025
a real cat all his life, a preacher
who knew the pleasures of wine
and wanted to taste the whole world
with every taste bud on heightened
sensory awareness because when
my brother and I left Five Star Bank
we ran into Al Brown
the church drummer who told
us in the Tramici’s parking lot that
our dad had come to him in a dream
and told him Heaven was great, that
…you can go anywhere you want, Al!
I was just in Minnesota yesterday….
and I stopped in my tracks
drew in my breath ~ because
that told me Dad and Gus
my sister-in-law’s father
are paying visits to their children
that they’d been to see Greg in
Minnesota (we know no other
soul in Minnesota)
Greg, my sister-in-law’s brother
who knew me well enough already
at the reception during the
sibling speeches to fear I might
push him in the pool
and now the cat and mouse are
on the loose
prowling around in my
garage posing as orbs
for the cameras
keeping me up all night
putting me on heightened
sensory awareness
Felix and Gus
a cat and a mouse
playing games
….as always….
*references to Felix the Cat and Gus, a mouse from Disney’s Cinderella
**Dr. Felix Haynes and Dr, Gus Hernandez died three months apart earlier this year
***One was a Southern Baptist, one a devout Catholic…..and now we have a Baptist and a Catholic ghost teamed up visiting friends and family in the afterlife. One shows up as an orb on Ring cameras, and one sets off fire alarm. Shenanigans.
Common Threads 
I’d say you are double-blessed as these souls leave you reminders of their gifts here on Earth as well as the promise of eternal life.
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Anita, they left as soon as they came, but I keep checking to see when they will be back. Eerie and comforting at the same time. Thanks for reading!
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