Monday, June 20, 2011

Stray

By Lois Muehl

(from her first collection of poetry, DARK/LIGHT, published by lulu press.)

Mind you, I wasn't
looking for a cat,
certainly not that scrawny
half-grown female
someone dumped on Friday.
I saw her first skulking
toward my bird feeder.
I knocked the window.
Cat froze. She blinked
her tawny eyes at me
but wouldn't move. I ran out
to shoo her off. Instead,
she arched around my feet,
purred to hint of a dish of milk,
a bite or two of chicken
would be welcome. So I fed
her hunger and my own,
once or twice stroking
her brown coat that, close up
seemed mixed of cinnamon,
nutmeg, cloves and saffron.
"Monday sure," I warned her,
"I'm calling the Shelter."
Sunday from the store
I brought home cat food
and a collar with a bell.
"Your name," I told her,
"is Spice."

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