Copper's Burial

I placed Copper's body in my favorite chair the night he died, and then went to bed, promising to bury him the next morning. The next morning, I got a shovel out of the basement, and dug a hole in the woods in the front yard, where he used to like to run and play. I was thinking it was a shallow grave, suffering pangs of guilt for not being willing to work longer and dig a deeper grave. But then I thought, it's good enough; it'll serve its purpose. Gray was watching. Then I held a vigil for him inside. I lit a candle and incense on the mantelpiece, and watched old videos on my computer of him. He was resting in my chair during the vigil.  Then I carried him outside to the hole. Gray jumped back when she saw him in my arms; she thought he was still alive. I placed him gently in the hole, and then covered him back up with dirt. I felt my neighbors mete out a final lesson of judgement, and felt my heart slam down, like a cellar door. Gray was watching; she knows where he's buried. We are gonna miss him.