NaPM, April 1, 2020

[easywayout]

Dukealien, that’s lovely.

Here is my small offering:

Luckily I’ve always had a way with cats.
My sister’s tom’s been running off,
Slipping the noose,
Since kittenhood, but you,
You’re a homing one. 
You’ve never been streetwise, 
Never had much of a penchant for escape.
Your particular markings
(One grey splash distinct
On the black nap of your right flank)
Make you easy to recognise
When you melt onto my stoop
Out of the shadows,
Before I can blink.
 
One saucer of milk is all it takes;
Most nights, you pad in and lap,
And lick your whiskers clean,
Purring your happiness; 
Leap from the wicker basket,
Dispatch, with a quick claw-swipe,
A flash of fangs, whatever mice or rats
Haunt my attic;
No need for traps, with you around.
 
When the lamp goes out
You curl yourself up near my head,
Vibrant with sound:
Little motorboard, small familiar,
Guardian spirit.