Kitty

By Brian Rosenberger

Artwork by Carole Humphreys

 

 

 

Waiting for the

footsteps

dreading them

fear fills you

fear of the footsteps

and what follows

shadows, not your

only company

not for long

you're not that lucky

that first day, hearing

the voice you've

come to loath

an infection in your ears

this is your

new home kitty

here's your food

water when you

get thirsty

ah, don't be scared

you'll see

it'll be okay

don't worry little kitty

I'll take good

care of you

at first

you liked

the attention, the tenderness,

the affection

the voice offered

things changed

an accident

not something planned

an unfortunate result

of too much momentum

resulting in a glass

turned to shards

quickly followed by

blows

hard enough to

erase the vision

from your eyes

too fast to avoid

now falling with

such frequency

they're expected

and the yelling

the constant yelling

GOD DAMN, LOOK WHAT YOU DID

YOU STUPID FUCKING BITCH

WHY CAN'T YOU BEHAVE

DAMN THING

WORSE THAN A CAT

clump

clump

clump

the door creaks

like bones grinding together

light spills into the closet

kitty, I'm home

 

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