Sitting on Cats

 

My week’s occupation

Done with lack of grace

 

They look at me indifferently

As I feed and water, pet

And play, even attempt

 

To impose medicine

Within one’s tiny mouth

 

We make it through—I

Would not give myself a

Good grade for care, though

Not for lack of

 

Trying

 

They came to me and then

Stayed away: It’s only you;

Feed us, check the litter

Box,

 

And leave

 

But one day, despite ourselves,

I found each cat and got

Down

 

Eye-to-eye

 

Looking at one while

Scratching behind the

Ears (the cat’s) and simply

Lying on the floor

 

So we could see each other

 

For the second (though

Equal among firsts),

There was something close

By to play with (besides

My heart-strings) and, what

Do you know,

 

We played

 

I received an electronic

Missive telling me my

Service was done—now

 

True cat-caring can

Commence without me

 

With the right ones at home

 

Well, we had a heat wave,

Didn’t we—which might

Explicate in part

 

Royal lethargy

 

And, if asked again

(Depending on the report

Received by parents),

I’ll prostrate myself in

 

Service

 

To liege-lords ruling their

Split-level citadel

 

Now off to learn something

About post-modern dogs