Sure, Good Buddy,
I’ll feed your cats
The nice grey
one, wo rubs his head against my leg
And the nasty
black one, who hisses and scratches at
Everyone
But I think that
is because he had a
Difficult
childhood.
I’ll feed your
cats for a few days
While you’re in
Heart of Florida
Since your
neighbor waroound the corner
Decided it is too
difficult
To unlock the
door twice a week and
Refill the water
bowls and automatic feeder.
I’ll stop at the
store and pick up
Cat food and
litter and treats
Come by twice a
week even though it is
At least 90
minutes roundtrip
And I’m not
retired like your friend across the way
Who was friends
with your parents
And regales me
with stories of card games with your mom -which he lost –
But at least he gets
the mail.
I’ll feed your
cats for a few weeks
When I’m not
sitting with you at
Consulate
Davenport or Palmer or Bartow
At least they
lifted some of the COVID restrictions
So I can visit
and not have to talk to you through a window
And I can bring
you gum and pudding and new shirts
And socks and it
is ok to give them to you without going through
The sterilization
chamber.
I’ll feed your
cats for a few months
While you’re home
with that healthcare worker
Who is supposed
to assist you with common living tasks
But when I spend
the weekend, after you pick out a movie
I throw in the
laundry and run by Publix to get groceries
Before we discuss
God and religion and is there reincarnation and
Who is saved and
I didn’t know you were a minister.
I’ll feed the
cats for a few years
While negotiating
with the HOA
Over the unmowed
grass and the fallen leaves
And the lawyers
and the insurance agencies
And bring your
Bible
The pocket Bible,
not the large one, the pocket Bible
Well-thumbed and
dogeared
To the rehab
center in Sebring or Bartow or
Even Celebration.
I’ll feed the
cats for a few more years
Because I don’t
want you to worry
When your heart
clogs from
Untreated
diabetes and ulcerated wounds
I’ll pack your
books and guitars
The painting you
inherited from your uncle who died of alcoholism
Bring them all to
my place when the roof caves in
because I can do
that for you, Good Buddy.
I’ll feed your
cats for forever
Spending
thousands of hours and thousands of dollars
And don’t fucking
tell me I’m
Doing God’s work
and getting Karma Points
Because I am
tired and already stretched too thin and
Too depressed and
too over-worked and support too many people
And I am done ith
being the practical dependable reliable one
But I love you,
Good Buddy,
I don’t want to
lose you
Even a little bit
of you
So I’ll pick up
another bag of kitty litter
And another bag
of dry food
And a few cans of
wet as a treat for your babies
Because I’ll feed
your cats.
