was born in Scott’s house, a place so cluttered

with animals that my son Aaron was never surprised

when a strange cat appeared

Hah he would cry, interrupting his visit

I never noticed that tabby before

And then it would disappear

under a dilapidated armchair upside

down in Scott’s screened porch.

One day Aaron took Izzy home, having taken

A fancy to her

and came to love his new cat, petted her, held her like a baby

Taken with a woman

He moved away, leaving Izzy with me.

When my son’s romance fizzled out and he came back

Izzy stayed with me but

Nowadays

When my son visits he holds Izzy upside down in the air

And jiggles her

An act of love which she remembers with nostalgia.