for the cats

Bless these tiny creatures

with whom we share our lives.

Bless the wild in them

That climbs and jumps and scratches

That chases and wiggles and hides

That cannot be tamed

and cannot be forced

The unknowable creature they are

Bless the fierce in them

The snarls and hisses

The protectiveness over resources

They do not know are endless.

Space, food, attention -

Whatever they want,

what a gift to be able to give.

Bless the gentle in them

The purrs and licks

The settling down on an arm,

or back, or lap

The slow blinks from across the room

that say, “I feel safe with you.

You have made this home

feel safe for me.”

Bless the loving in them

The head butts and flops

The love-bites and licks

The secret, coded language

that teaches us to listen.

Bless their internal clocks.

They sleep when they are tired

and run when they’re restless,

and pad around the house at night,

exploring, each day a new adventure.

Bless the kitten in them

The biscuits made when they feel happy

The wet spots left on fuzzy blankets

The little mewls that ask,

“Where are you?”

And come running when you answer.

And bless their growing older

out of their cutest baby selves.

Bless the way their bodies change.

How light they used to feel,

like baby birds.

Now they are heavy on my chest,

on my shoulder.

Bless their bigger paws,

their hanging pouches,

their gray hairs, the bright eyes

that one day will dim,

the heartbreaking beauty of a whole life

happening before our eyes.

Bless the radical now-ness of them

Their inability to plan, unwillingness to

bow to the demands of work and school

That forces my attention away

from the book or screen

and firmly onto their

little bodies and faces

insisting that the most important thing

right now is this, right here.

Bless their unawareness of time

the complaint at getting up -

just five more minutes

forever

From my booklet, Seven Prayers for Everyday: https://issuu.com/aprusky/docs/seven_prayers_for_every_day