Please dear cat,
give up your loud miauls
these middle-of-the-nights.

You only waken your master
to his body's agony.

Please dear cat,
restrain your nocturnal demands.
Your mistress need not
waken to the mourning already upon her, yet.

The orchestra of moans and miauls
haunts the darkness,
robs the rare respite
at this death-watch.

Please beloved cat, who cannot know,
sip this bit of milk, then come silent
into bed with me.
We cannot tend to all your woes,
while we tend to his.

01/16/2005