176/365

 and what makes a cat great    he asks nonchalantly
                and with a dash of smugness         as if there can be no suitable answer
caught off guard scrambling for an authentic response
                   i just stare at the three legged animal            watching us
from the shadows of the other room                  with her bored elegiac elegance
             i had just told them how much i loved this animal  
and now days later           still sitting with the fact that      people need
            the perfection of cats explained to them        i watch her    
droopy eyed and heaving with breath               having just chased a toy mouse
             all morning          claws retracted           chops licked
in some relatable pose                                         this wild animal and i
in this house                               making the best of a friday morning.