apparently
what i needed this morning
to feel a little more like
myself
was not writing
or poetry
or even coffee
it was a cat
purring as loudly as a geiger counter
on my lap
cat
September 11, 2024
blanket cat
blankets me with all of her
over my lap
dripping down my leg
covering all she can cover
in one tiny cat body
the opposite of loafing
she liquifies and spreads out
and blankets herself
over
me
~~~
blanket cat, also because
the minute you have a blanket on your lap
she cannot resist
the draw
of a comfy place to sit
~~~
poor little puppy ear
did nothing to the dog who was near
but something happened
and the bite landed
and now a little notch is part of our Comps’s visage
poor little puppy ear
poor little puppy
you don’t deserve this pain
or fear
or anything bad
but at least your cute scruffy ear is going to look
so adorable with a tiny notch on the side
[the one piece of solace
we have to hang on to]
September 10, 2024
interesting
interesting
i wrote but i didn’t post
yesterday
i wonder what that means
i wonder what that means
and the puppy just freaked out and boof-howled
but she hadn’t done that with Kip not around
i wonder what that means
and the cat has been perching on my lap
far more in the last couple of weeks
than since we lost Louka
i think i might know what that means
and additionally
i feel like
my writing has gotten
so
much
worse
lately
i wonder
what
that
means
September 3, 2024
the puppy’s barks are sharp
as she tries to get her ball out from under the radiator
and asks me to help her,
but the cat is on my lap
and i cannot give up this comfort and heat
on this chilly morning
after dropping my kip off at the airport
for a work trip, so we must endure
her plaintive wails
and scrambles to get the toy herself —
that is until i realize
she may need a similar comfort
as her kip is gone too
nevermind, she got the ball herself
she’s practically a grown a-dog now
August 3, 2024
sitting kips
perching cats
lazing puppies
lofi beats
typing fingers
purring felines
windy fans
buzzing electricity
and caffeined beverages
someday i’ll be able to stand up again
and do some more morning things
but for now, this cat is keeping me sitting
so i’ll continue writing
for as long as she needs
my lap
July 16, 2024
the cat, on her perch, on her throne of my lap
leers over the puppy, resting innocently on the ground
unperturbed by the feline creeping closer,
as she jumps to the ground, and the puppy
stays still as a statue, only her nose going,
the cat passes, and the puppy wishes
so hard that they could play
at least for a moment
at least for a day
at least for a lifetime
the puppy prays,
but the cat is only interested
in food and hassles
and annoying all other animals
in this house.
the puppy has no recourse, no resource to break into the cat’s heart
so she waits, calmly, for the next opportunity to start
it all over again.
June 12, 2024
so
here we are
trying to write while the cat
yowls her nausea
upstairs
i just want to tell her
say to her
explain to her
that this will pass
it’s just a flare-up
it will pass
[i also want to tell myself
say to me
explain in such a way that i believe
that
this will pass
it’s just a flare-up
we have the meds we need
it’s not something different
something insidious
something hidden]
[we should schedule that ultrasound]
January 14, 2024
the soundtrack of our morning
includes:
skipped songs on a playlist
whenever they have words to them,
the soft stomps of a puppy
forcing me to play with her
and whatever toy she brings me,
the tippity taps of fingers on keys
from my poetry
and kip’s programming,
and the cat
somewhere
somewhere
in this building.
May 27, 2023
cats
in the back-
-yard
meowling
for attention
for love
for kittens
for food
for us
[we hope]
April 25, 2023
the cat
has a compulsion
every time there is a lap
with a soft fuzzy blanket atop
she must
must
must
crawl upon the space
created perfectly for a curled up cat
kneed the knees and thighs
just a few times
then perch
lie
purr
sometimes sleep
laps themselves
are only about 50% inviting
she could take or leave
bare legs/
legs blanketed in jeans/
pajamas/
dresses/skirts/harem pants
but the minute
that soft polyester cover is draped
here comes the hasslecat
a magnetic pull
a need
a compulsion
a necessity
to lie
on a blanketed lap
and i love her for it
kipventures 