Big Lion
The hardest farewell story I've ever had to write...
With a wide yawn and a long stretch of powerfully muscled legs, Lion awoke from his nap. The savannah was bright in the afternoon sun and the heat was draining even in the shade. He had been napping for a long time and while he slept, he dreamed. He dreamed of a cooler home in the emerald forests of a far away land. He dreamed of fine mists and wild rain storms soaking the ground under his feet. But most of all, he dreamed of her. He had found her on his hunt one day long ago. She was not from the plains and fields of his home. She was strong and gentle. She was kind and long suffering. She held him close in her arms and in her heart. Days and nights easily led into weeks and months after which followed years. It was nice not to have to be Lion for a time. It was nice to be able to sleep on warm soft blankets. It was nice know that food would always be there. It was nice to purr instead of roar.
But Lion was, and will always be, Lion. While many years passed in his dream, it was only a short nap to evade the heat of the noon day sun. The sun was setting now and the pride would soon be on the move again, following the zebra and the gazelle. In his dream he nuzzled her one last time and stepped into the shadows to awake in his home and lead again his pride. She would miss him but it wouldn’t be long, in his world, before she would come to visit him and hunt with his pride on his savannah.
Blessed be they who travel.
Blessed be those they leave behind.
May their pain be swift in healing
And may their memory be everlasting
As it was in days of old,
And as it will be for the eternities.
With a wide yawn and a long stretch of powerfully muscled legs, Lion awoke from his nap. The savannah was bright in the afternoon sun and the heat was draining even in the shade. He had been napping for a long time and while he slept, he dreamed. He dreamed of a cooler home in the emerald forests of a far away land. He dreamed of fine mists and wild rain storms soaking the ground under his feet. But most of all, he dreamed of her. He had found her on his hunt one day long ago. She was not from the plains and fields of his home. She was strong and gentle. She was kind and long suffering. She held him close in her arms and in her heart. Days and nights easily led into weeks and months after which followed years. It was nice not to have to be Lion for a time. It was nice to be able to sleep on warm soft blankets. It was nice know that food would always be there. It was nice to purr instead of roar.
But Lion was, and will always be, Lion. While many years passed in his dream, it was only a short nap to evade the heat of the noon day sun. The sun was setting now and the pride would soon be on the move again, following the zebra and the gazelle. In his dream he nuzzled her one last time and stepped into the shadows to awake in his home and lead again his pride. She would miss him but it wouldn’t be long, in his world, before she would come to visit him and hunt with his pride on his savannah.
Blessed be they who travel.
Blessed be those they leave behind.
May their pain be swift in healing
And may their memory be everlasting
As it was in days of old,
And as it will be for the eternities.