was born into a household
already so crowded with cats
that you were never surprised when
a strange cat showed up
Hah you would exclaim
I hadn’t noticed that tabby before
then it would vanish
under a dilapidated armchair upside
down on the porch.
Well, the owner of this home decided one day
To pare down the number of animals wandering through his residence
And gathered up a variety.
He offered
Izzy to my son
Izzy, he said, was a fun young feline
Who would make an endearing companion.
My son came to love his new cat
Until one day
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.
