My heart is round, with orange fur.

It has long, white whiskers and eyes like the morning sea.

Its tail always ends in a loop, a firework pinwheel of stripes,

Its nose freckled with time.

My heart is slow to trust and quick to defend.

When it does love, its devotion knows no end.

It averages about eight pounds (but has been as much as 13).

My heart shows that I can love deeply and unconditionally,

That I can be loved.

Yesterday, my heart broke,

Overwhelmed by a body that could not contain its sweetness,

Irrigated with an ocean of loss.

Today, my heart is empty,

With only a trace of salt.

And orange fur.