
Des Skordilis is this month’s winner of the Bent Books Poetry Prize. Congratulations Des, your $50 Book Voucher is waiting for you at Bent Books in West End.
SCOUT
A stray cat showed up
To my door one afternoon
She was so feeble
And scruffy and she
Had these big hazel eyes
That stared right into
The core of my soul
You could see her ribs
And she struggled to
Walk up three flights
Of stairs and I would
Just sit on the deck
With her at night and
She’d just watch me
Think too much about
The existential chaos
That perturbs my brain
Most of the time
And I felt less alone
With her there because
I could see her struggling
Her breathing was off
But so was mine and
I felt a bond with this cat
I could see myself in her
Later, I found out she
Lived down the road
But the owners went
On holidays for six weeks
And she was craving food
And affection because
Apparently the lady that
Was supposed to look
After her wasn’t feeding her
So I spent my last seven dollars
On cat food and wrapped her
In a towel because she
Was so frail I couldn’t
Even stand looking at her
I thought she was sick
Turns out she was just aged
She was twenty-one years old
The average lifespan of a cat
Is twelve to eighteen years
And I thought that was
Impressive and I found
Out her name was Scout
Her owners are back home now
So she doesn’t come around anymore
But at least I know she’s still kickin’ on
And I’ve never been a cat person
See more of Des’ poetry at: http://halfstrange.wordpress.com/