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 4, 2024

write to the sounds of
indoor cats purring
outdoor dogs yipping
our dog boofing
even though she knows she oughtn’t
even though she’s trying so hard to not
but her little grumble/whine/barks
are so cute
it’s hard to scold her
especially because
i know
i can tell
she’s trying
she’s trying
she’s trying

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

July 31, 2024

nothing
is as comforting
as an animal
who loves you

the trust inherent
when they fall asleep
precariously perched on your lap
or cuddle up
so close
they are lierally on top of your legs
and they feel emotionally comfortable enough
to completely pass out
dreaming eyes
running feeties
wagging tails
in their sleep
purring until you too
are dreaming

it’s a comfort i wish i could give others
but i’ll just have to count myself lucky
to have built it in my
hassle animals

July 30, 2024

a little puppy
bonked my face last night —
a big old thwack
right at the forehead
breaking my glasses [almost]
and giving me the slightest extra pigmentation
underneath my right eye
with a little red lump above the brow.
and i can’t even be mad
because we riled up the pup,
and i stuck my face right beside her
tough tough cranium

but she calmed when she needed to,
and cuddled up beside me
as i waited for pain killers
and ice packs
and comfort from my kip

and she is still a good good dog.

July 18, 2024

taking time from poetry
to pat the cat on my lap
or encourage the puppy to play with her ball
or say random sentences to kip about
the randomness in my brain
[what i usually use this poetry outlet to express or explain]
which all makes for great connections
but not necessarily good morning writings

July 17, 2024

i should really turn my computer
off
at some point,
let all the tabs i have up
rest
for an evening
or even overnight
and give the inner workings
of this overworked and overpriced
silver slip of a laptop
a moment of chill time
before turning it on again
and leaving it on
for another few
years

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.