80spoems/mycat

WHAT YOU GOTTA DO IF YOU WANT TO BE MY CAT

Meow loud, and often,
and mean it when you do.
Stay off the paper box.
Be appreciative when I sing
silly rhymes in your honor.
And stay off the paper box.
Be there all the time,
so I’ll always have someone to talk to.
Be insistent, persistent,
know better than I do that you’re mine.
Explore voraciously, but always come home
to your own garden.
Adapt to change, to the necessities
our lives require of us,
understand if I must leave you,
but re-settle into our routine quickly.
Stay off the paper box, and my down
pillow when my head is there.
Give as much love as you demand,
entertain yourself when I am busy.
Know where you belong, especially
when I am ignorant and forgetful.
Look me in the eyes when I speak.

1987
La Jolla Shores