Modern Man On the ProwlModern man
squelches down the stairs
searching for he knows not what.
His eyes slowly adjust to the dark.
A soft feeling underfoot,
a feline yowl tells him,
"Not fast enough!"
He staggers into the kitchen
opens the refrigerator, and
stands staring into the glare.
He lifts the block of process cheese,
each slice wrapped so cleverly,
so individually, and
puts it down again.
He removes the cap
lifts the gallon of milk to his nose, sniffs, and
puts it down again.
He runs his hand through his hair,
he scratches,
reaches for a pop top can and pops the top.
He sips and makes a face, and
puts the can down again.
He closes the door.
His eyes begin to adjust to the dark.
Dissatisfied, he wanders through the living room toward the stairs.
The cat, forewarned, moves.
The man squelches up the stairs again.
Whatever he is looking for,
he never finds where he is looking.
In the dark he is looking,
never finding in the dark whatever
he is looking for,
dissatisfied.
The CatThe cat knows better
but he likes to sleep on the mat
at the bottom landing of the stairs.
Every night
he hears the man squelching down the stairs.
Most nights he fails to move
trusting to dumb luck.
Most nights he yowls and moves too late.
He knows a lot about the man,
what he eats, or doesn't
and what he drinks.
Forewarned he moves when he hears the steps
squelching back from the kitchen.
This nightly bit of attention
is painful
even if it's all he gets.
LumpHaving missed the cat
he squelches up the stairs.
Flicks on the hall light
flicks it off again
rendering himself temporarily blind.
His hands stretch out before him
neatly bracketing the open door.
There is a thud
a muffled curse.
The lump in the bed groans and rolls
burying its head under the pillow.
Light blind he stumbles
over the corner of the bed
and sits heavily upon its edge.
Slowly he raises his feet and
swings them under the covers.
He paws for his wife
his hand upon her rump.
She groans and rolls
knees defensively raised against him.
He shrugs and stares at the ceiling
watching black adjust to grey
as his eyes adjust to the night.
The CatThe cat seizes the opportunity
leaps softly upon the bed
and lays across his feet.
He straightens a foot
propelling the cat to the floor.
Momentarily satisfied by this tiny cruelty
he drifts off to sleep.
The cat undaunted softly leaps
upon the bed,
settling at the feet of the other lump,
its vibrator engine running
knowing who will kick and who won't
and whose feet to leap upon tomorrow night
like last night
and tonight.
He knows a lot about the man
and sleeps smirking
in his dreams.
DreamsThe man dreams worried dreams
hunted dreams
dissatisfied,
while the cat sleeps
smirking.
Modern ManThe cat sleeps smirking
at the foot of the bed.
Modern man
squelches down the stairs again
searching for he knows not what.
His eyes slowly adjust to the dark.
A figure lurks
in the shadows
of the turning
of the stairs.
He walks through it
noticing the unwelcome coolness
a stranglehold upon his heart
noticing it was this feeling
that roused him from his sleep.
He staggers into the kitchen
opens the refrigerator, and
stands staring into the glare.
He shuts the refrigerator door and
staggers into the den
snaps on the tv
staggers back into the kitchen
gets the whole wheat
high fiber
o so healthy crackers and
the pot of sugarless
naturally sweetened
o so healthy jam
staggers back to the tv.
Someone is watching
over his shoulder
watching hating approving
flip flip flip flip flop
channel channel channel
charnal charnel carnal charon
the boatman poles across the waters.
Four o so healthy crackers
the pot of jam is finished.
Modern man scratches,
snaps off the tv.
His eyes adjust to the dark.
Dissatisfied, he wanders through the living room
squelches up the stairs again.
On the turning of the stairs
no shadow lurks
but nestles lurking elsewhere.
Dimly he perceives discomfit
and rummages through the medicine chest.
Plop, plop, fizz, fizz.
Whatever he is looking for,
he never finds where he is looking.
In the dark he is looking,
never finding in the dark whatever
he is looking for,
dissatisfied.
He stumbles
over the corner of the bed, and
sits heavily upon its edge.
Slowly he raises his feet and
swings them under the covers.
The cat stops smirking
slides quietly to the floor and
heads for the landing
where it sleeps
dissatisfied.
BrimstoneAcrid it tingles
at the back of the nose
rasping the throat.
Learn to recognize
the smell of brimstone.
The Cat WatchedGolden eyed
the cat watched
as the man pulled on his socks
first one foot and
then the other.
The cat smiled
in a superior way
knowing
his own fur muffed feet
never
needed
changing.
