Players are family, maybe blood relatives, maybe not. Say your name, your age, your relationship to your left-hand neighbor. Everyone puts a heads-up coin on the table.
Red
Your pet enters your lives. Everyone says a few sentences about their first day with the pet. Turn to tails when you've had your say.
Orange
The pet chooses its name. Suggest one, explain why, then turn to heads. After, everyone flips coins- heads eliminated, tails are contenders. Flip contenders until one's left. Zero tails? Do-over.
Yellow
The honeymoon's new and lovely: temperaments revealed, boundaries tested, behavior learned. Everyone flips. Share an unquestionably good (heads) or questionably good (tails) thing your pet does.
Green
is a little later. Everyone says one word in turn, making a story about the good, comfortable times. Repeat as needed.
Blue
is later yet. Everyone says one sentence, telling the story of the decline. Stack your coins together.
Indigo
is the end. Take a moment. Then, everyone tells about their last day with your pet. Take a coin when done. Your pet dies when the coins are gone. Breathe. Cry together or alone.
Violet
is a year later. How do you feel?
Once you're ready: play again.
This game poem is dedicated to Aphasia, who is no longer here, and inspired by Tater, who’s still with us for now.