Old Shelter Cat

This poem contemplates the untold history of a senior cat adopted through a rescue group.

————

Nobody knows

when you were born

who your mother is.

How many humans

have you encountered

before me?

What kind of experiences

do you hold with humans?

Were they kind or cruel?

How is the taste of human life

in your memory?

You are a mystery,

but no longer a stranger.

You came here last spring

to stay in this confined abode

to live out the rest of your days.

This is your home now,

high up on the fifth floor,

free from fear of hunger.

Twice a day,

you enjoy a treat from my hand.

It’s your daily ritual, your joy.

Every morning and evening,

you await the moment

to be fed by me.

You look content.

But I sometimes catch your eyes

gaze out through the glass,

yearning for wind and sky.

Is it merely a cat’s curiosity,

or the memory of a forgotten sprint?

Is our home your sanctuary,

or cage of comfort?

What did you lose

since I enclosed you

in the warmth of this steady hand?

Your unmarked years remain untold,

never unfolded.

By Mayumi Yamamoto

From: Japan