Out of time
No rhyme

Slushing the universe
Nibbling the edges

Moving fast and slow
Steady as she goes

It’s inevitable
The inevitable

Until you find slow
Shift: reverse

Baby came to me last night
Approaching with tentative stealth
A slink around reconnoiter

First a tail **** flirt
A jump up and down
Waters tested

She paws away
But not too far
Then creeps close again

Invisible pounce
Golden eyes tête-à-tête
She’s not sure yet

Then the chin dive
Under beard comfort shown
With sandpaper tongue

I wear my hickey proudly
Baby’s reclaimed me despite
Abandonment issues

Baby came to me last night
Approaching with tentative stealth
A slink around reconnoiter

First a tail **** flirt
A jump up and down
Waters tested

She paws away
But not too far
Then creeps close again

Invisible pounce
Golden eyes tête-à-tête
She’s not sure yet

Then the chin dive
Under beard comfort shown
With sandpaper tongue

I wear my hickey proudly
Baby’s reclaimed me despite
Abandonment issues

Thin line between
This and when
Between what is
And what’s not began

We walk and talk
And stop and look
As periphery beckons
Through subtle margins

Unheard symphonies
Unseen wonders
Almost patterns
Seeming schemes

An ambulance screams
Cars honk and careen
A child sobs and wails
Shadows whist away

When is this?
Where is this?
Where am I?

Awoke in dark
Wall dimly glows
The rest shadows

Here now?
Then when?
Where to go?

Stepped from sleep
All unfamiliar
Observe; think!

Gauze falls
Fog clears—
Here. In my chair.

The twist-tie
Had failed
Again and again

And it fell to us
Not our fault
Not our concern

Yet it exposed us
In an unfamiliar place
Our problem now

Rubber bands? No.
Beaded chain? No.
Thread from patch kit? Ha!

Then came the paper clip
Thank you Samuel B. Fay
The fabric is up now

Not curtains for us
Privacy regained
McGyver reclaimed

I am proud to say
I speak three languages:
Human, cat and dog

There a big difference between
“mmmmm-rrrrrrRRRRR-Ouww!”
And “mmrouwt!”

The occasional
"Mmmrt.”
That’s one contented cat!

Where to start with dog?
“thnff-sniff-sniff-snichff-iff”
Your **** as judge and jury

If they judge you worthy
With a **** of their head
Or clear-eyed happy panting

Or happy claws
Kneading your nethers
Throbbing, purring

Or the “schlourp, schlourp, schlourp”
Of their tongue where they dare
You have made it as a human

Enjoy their approval as
Human held in esteem
Strive to come back as one of them