Six Boxes for Nine Lives
A cat named Leonard in the dog’s water bowl
up to his waist, like Buddha fishing for his toy.
6 mo old Leonard in the shower clawed my legs to escape
the downpour. When I
unpack groceries he’s in the first empty bag, wrapped a handle round his neck, flew through the house like Superman.
Leonard tightroping the edge of
a 65 gal fish tank defying gravity
to purr into the man’s ear who cleans our aquarium. Nesting on his shoes.
Cats in boxes, this cat,
Christmas tree box,
shoe box, Chewy.com boxes
filled with brown paper
seduction.
Six boxes for nine lives.
Hidden among orchid blossoms,
his angel eyes now shine petal green.
Boxes without cats,
Just recyclables.
Associate Editor Clare Songbirds Publishing House, Auburn NY
2018 Independent Book Award winner (poetry)
2013, 2018 CNY Book Award nominee
2016, 2018 Pushcart nominee
he certainly needs cat quilts instead.