The Cat’s Not Mine

anyone who knows me knows

the cat’s not mine

another october night

beneath the skin

of this sweater

and the courage

of this wine

beyond the frozen

shapes thrown

by the dim lamp of the porch

the rest of the planet

really could be gone

the coarse lawn

the vegetable garden

are all black

i barely recall

the forest hanging

from the sky behind

the broken fence

my feline companion

returns now and again

until the nights she won’t

unsettling my routine

with waiting

half-in half-out

she watches before appearing

back unperturbed

from prowling

through the tangle

she pauses at

the edge of shadow

considering

what to do

skirts up

the rotting steps

announces

with a soft whine

i am her second choice

jumps on my lap

curls to savor

for a few moments

my familiar warmth