Cat Nap

Open one eye to partly cloudy rays
between the slats of the window shade,
stippled through the thin burgundy curtains,
to see if the cat is still stone asleep
in the crook of your arm
while the A/C whirs.
Find that he
has one eye open to see
if you're ready to serve lunch or
tickle a swiveling ear,
or if you'll forget he is there
and give up your warm pillow
because you've gotten up to go pee.
Tut and click teeth
until his lid closes
and he stretches and yawns.
The afternoon is young,
the apartment a sauna,
scratch scratch his nose,
then your own, with a free hand
before slipping, for a few minutes more,
back to sleep.

One of Those Days

"Pssst."

The hell do you want?

"Just wondering what you're up to."

Work.

"Oh.  Cool."



"Hey."

Yeah?

"Still working?"

Yeah.

"Oh.  'Kay, cool."



"Pssssssssst."

Yes?

"Soooooo, want to work on something else?  I could really use some help."

No.

"Oh, come on!"




"Hi."

Hello.  Maybe later, I really need to get this done.

"It's later now."

Not now-later... later-later.

"It's later-later now, if you want to be technical about it."




"Hey, buddy.  Hey.  I know you can hear me.  Hey, you."

Oh my god, this had better be important!

"What are you doing tonight?  Any big plans?  'Cause if you're not busy..."

I do not have time for this.

"Forty-five minutes and I promise I'll leave you alone.  Deal?"




"Hey, sweetness.  I don't mean to be a bother, but can you come here a sec?"

What is it?

"My hamstring has been bothering me all day, can you help me stretch a little?"

I know what you're doing.  Thirty minutes, alright?  And I don't want to hear a peep out of you until tonight.  Not an hour from now, not two hours from now.  Not until tonight.  Deal?

"That sounds perfect.  I don't know what I'd do without you."




"Pssst, hey."

For crying out loud!