by Peyton Bortner
Yesterday the rain outshined our tears When we buried Bruno in the garden. You dug the hole, I filled it up, and we marked the spot with a stone. When I’d cry, you’d offer a cat to me, knowing their warmth and soft nature would console me and my longing to cup Bruno in my hands again. Tonight, I wanted to say farewell, since I knew we would be heading back to North Jersey by morning, where we’d stay for a while. I mistakenly wore sandals, I forgot we had buried him in the center of a ring of poison ivy sprouts. I was ready to sacrifice my skin. But you, my darling, you decided to carry me into the garden upon your back, determined to give me the visitation I so desired. I only realize now your ankles were exposed.
About the Contributor & Piece
Peyton Bortner (she/her) is an English and Literary Studies major with a concentration in Creative Writing. She focuses on writing fantasy prose and has only recently started to experiment with poetry. She is the President of Literature Club and the Ramapo chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the English honor society, as well as the Arts & Entertainment Editor for the Ramapo News. She loves Nintendo, Jim Henson, and animals (especially hamsters <3).
“I started writing poetry this semester for my classes when my emotional support hamster and best friend, Bruno, had to be put to rest at the vet. It was a very dark time, but I was able to push through it because of my loved ones and poetry. This piece in particular is about my partner, Dante, who drove me home to South Jersey to bury Bruno and actually carried me into the garden the night before we were to return to campus.” – Peyton Bortner