less
meds
for this cat—
you’d think that would make her
more likely to accept
the singular med
once a day
we have now
but no
instead she has run from me
every chance she’s gotten
this morning
let’s see if in this moment i can
trick her into letting me
catch
her…
success!
this poor poor puppy
from the street
to a home where
she tore both acl’s
needed surgeries
got nausea and scabs
and bumps all over
[not to mention at least one leg broken]
and finally, when she wasn’t the one giving us
veterinary grief
the cat goes and develops
hyperthyroidism
and irritable bowel disease
and then
as the cat calms down
from all her puking and med-strategizing
the puppy, once again, has a sore on her paw
which she licks and licks
and ends up in a cone
with antibiotics
and steroids
and somehow swollen ears
and we think we get all that under control
and here come the obsessive paw-licks again
i’m sorry, Computer, but you’re going to need to be
in a cone once more,
at least while we’re gone for the day
poor poor poor poor puppy.
that was
the greatest part of my morning
the greatest morning
a cat on my lap
enjoying the scritches
from my left hand
and a puppy at my feet
leaning into me
enjoying the scritches from my
right hand
and though i got no writing done
and it only lasted about ten minutes
i was in a blissful heaven
the whole time
finish up these pages
so the bagel can be eaten
so the laundry can be started
so the nap can be taken
so the cat meds can be obtained
so the lyra can be flown on
so the massage can be gotten
and so i can come back home
and be lonely
but not alone
[because these sweet animals
are my greatest buddies
besides my spouse]
why am i so calmed
by a cat simply being
on top of me?
even before the cuddles
or the purring
just knowing
that this feline wants to be on my lap
just feeling
her little paws on my legs
my anxiety is lessened
for the moment
for the moment
at least our animals exist
i don’t know how much of the outside world
i could survive
knowing about,
if i didn’t have giant puppy dog eyes
and happy puppy tails
and gentle cat purrs
and quaint cat meows
and wonderful little animal cuddles
to come home to every day
[or even stay home with
when the world is too much]
[how in the world do folks without pets
(and with depression)
survive?]
the cat sneezes
once
twice
thrice
four times
five
my goodness!
is she alright?
the puppy
refuses
to eat her own food
but the cat
is very ready
to eat it all for her
and then both animals
will have tummy troubles
today
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
too small, our silly costumes
for our cat and our dog
but i think that was all they had for the taco cat [dog]
but the shark, there were definitely other sizes
so i guess
let’s
run back to the pet store and pick up a large
for our comps chomps to chomp at for Halloween
kipventures 