I saw a cat today
a kitten, actually
orange and white
with its guts spilled out
on the street
and as I drove by it kept
trying to get up
and I cried and cried
because it was suffering and
I could not help

I saw it again later
one with the road
now unrecognizable
in death
and I felt a degree of relief
because it was done
and there was no more kitten
trying to drag
its loosed insides
across the cold pavement
near 28th and University
and in that moment
I understood
why some people opt for
the permanent solution
instead of suffering
with their insides out
on the street
as everyone else passes by
unaware