Biding my time
I’m playing the long game now
Enjoying the journey
Exploring who you are
Unveiling me
Slowly, every day
A new discovery
An appreciation
Of friendship
And warmth
Building better
From the rubble
Of what went before
The viscosity of time
Thickens, enriching
The flow of moments
With each savory
Second
Sweetly lengthened
No rush
As we see
What tomorrow
Brings
Come with big eyes
Hungry maws
Perfecting the technique
That leads you to lay out
The red carpet of kibble
Bits of meat
Entice you to work
Work so hard
To win them over
And like the cats they are
Arrogantly dismissive
Of your efforts
You think the cat is in the bag
But all you have are claw marks
And bite wounds
Instead, turn that energy
To a dog
A steady companion
Who is applying for
Exactly that job
Loyal, intelligent
Partner, buddy
Dogs, they will meet your eyes
Gaze into your soul
Celebrate life
With you
“With” in a way cats don’t
Understand
And don’t want to
(…not about the obvious)
My pulse picks up
Pink in my cheeks
Smile begins curling
At the corner of my mouth
Cautious
Carefully cautious
But surprised by
This spark
Of energy
And willingness to risk
Giddy with
Possibility
You’re so vain
And I bet he did
Think her song was
About him
But I know what she meant
Because my muse is back
And none of this is
Actually about you
It’s about cleaning out
The cobwebs
Sweeping dust bunnies
From under the bed
Spring cleaning
My heart, my mind
Setting the ducks
In a row
Then admiring them there
Rearranging furniture
Making space for
What’s to come
Singing while I work
You are also so vain
But this is
Most definitely
Not about you
I think about you
All alone
Surveying the damage
Bombed out relationships
Devastating losses
Wondering how it feels
To know it was you
Who pulled the trigger
Pressed the button
Blasted away
Trust, respect
Integrity
Destroying
Companionship
Warm touches
Even salty tears
Because around you now
Sits desolation
A poison cloud
Is the air you breathe
Do you wonder
If your other lies
Will catch up to you?
Your racist slurs
Your angry stabbings
At friends and neighbors
Every green thing
You killed
While you cry about the
Unfairness of life
It’s all out to get you
Or so you say
When I do think about you
It’s in pity
The love is gone
The longing, too
My thoughts are not
Wistful
Because your
Missiles were often
Aimed at me
You sought to
Use my vulnerability
And my kindness
As proving grounds
For your artillery
But my karma
Protected me
Still I tried to help you
As I winced in pain
Bandaged the wounds
You made
Before my escape
I’m safe now, but you?
You are the victim
Of your own karma
The sum of your words
Your deceit
Those selfish ways
Have anchored you there
In the misery you created
Alone, angry and crying “why me?”
Railing against the mess
You made
Forlorn
On a windy day
Takes patience
Determination
A fragile tendril
Of smoke
Shield it
Blow gentle
Slow breath
No rush
Feed it tinder
Bit by bit
Good things
Grow slowly
Add the kindling
Little twigs at first
Embers glow
A stick, a bigger stick
Flames rise
Lay on the logs
Bask in the warmth
Of a solid fire
A fire that
Well-tended
Will keep us
Warm
For many
Many
Nights
Far enough away
That the smell of deceit
And anger
And all those other
Nasty parts
Aren’t even on the horizon
They are
Past
The rising action
In a story
That’s over now
After a doozy of a
Denouement
The protagonist won
(Hey, that’s you!)
Won back your dignity
Won back your joy
Wiser, singed a bit
But your heart is still
On your sleeve
No one will destroy
Your capacity to love
The resolution was
Sublime
The villain is defeated
Dead to you
While you are
Wholly intact
And you’ve shut the book
Walked away
And found
Happiness again
