the cat reenacts
his past life
as a monk—
his abacus
a row of stuffed mice
under the couch
::
when I move
the mice
he replaces them
with care—
a perfect line
each time
::
Tibetan chanting
on TV
for dead souls
crossing over—
he puts his paws
on the screen to help
::
old cotton mat—
his favorite place
to sit
and meditate
eyes half closed
remembering
::
he always prayed
to come back
on four legs—
purring
paws tucked neatly
beneath him
lives in the Mojave Desert near Joshua Tree National Park. Her poems have appeared
in journals such as Spillway, Crab Creek Review, Apercus, Askew, San Pedro River
Review, Mojave River Review, The Coil, and Split Rock Review. Her work
has been nominated for Best of the Net and the Pushcart Prize. She is the author
of nine poetry collections and co-editor of the anthology A Bird Black As the Sun:
California Poets on Crows & Ravens.
Author’s website: www.cynthiaandersonpoet.com
