Psychopomp

Whither goest, friend Mouse, and whence cometh?
What purpose bears thee?
 
I have pass’d through many places, and in each of them
Death is the faithful companion of mortals.
My boat is fill’d with souls, and I am ferrying them
through the waters of transition to what awaits on the other side.
 
What is’t, then, that waits?
 
That is a mystery for these souls, and not yet for thine.
But come, share a bit of my shortbread.

Wilt thou be short for the journey?

Though I keep the finest company, the dead eat but little.
Hast any message to send?

sending condolences, acknowledging grief/loss

—> in Greek mythology (and others), mice and rats serve as psychopomps: messengers between the world of mortals and the realms of gods, or between the living and the souls of the dead.
—> paper boats = first origami I learned, generational connections, the power of memory and shared traditions
—> shortbread = luxurious ingredients, the best of the best, offerings of value to ease the journey for the soul that travels across the veil