Cat-Astrophe

She stepped into the blue ocean of morning, and looked up towards the sky & as her gaze moved up and up, something odd, atop a willow caught her eye There, in the tall thin branches, swaying in the wind, a still & silent tabby was curled amongst its limbs She shouted to it, clapped her hands, her dogs enhanced the sound but the cat just lay there, never moving – its silence was profound --- Knowledge that the cat was dead slid slowly down her face in bitter tears that came unbidden with grief’s wet, salty taste She struggled back into her house through mourning’s heavy waves & tried to ponder what to do, and who to call to save At least the body of this once fine cat, to bring it back to ground - She imagined how it sought its safety then could not climb back down, & how it sat there, starving, thirsty, forever trapped in that green embrace – She couldn’t stand it, went back outside, but when she looked, saw only space ___ The cat was gone! Had played great possum, just pretended to be dead! And what she’d believed to be total truth was just a story in her head Then laughter hit her, exploded from her, joy blazed throughout her soul as the crystal blue promise of the ocean of morning was restored, renewed, and made whole © March 2006 RG Hudson