Pleading With An Eye

If it’s busy it is busy everywhere
but here or there – or anywhere
you think it ought to be. It doesn’t
seem to care. It seeks a light –
no, not a light – well, something
like the tightly secret brightness

your attention sometimes keeps
for it in corners, shadows, nooks –
it looks for more, it always looks
for more. Oh, the hazards
you must hazard to explore
this sneaky creature of the mind! –

which wants to find an answering
response you haven’t got. Your
cat today appeared to offer up
a similar excoriating blame, gutturally
keening – maybe at the lameness
of your sameness. Though then

he sauntered forth and stuck
his face up underneath the crook
of your crossed legs: and softened
the proceedings to a mew – a cat
does not exactly ever beg – but he
desired more of something,

purely, sweetly, with allure.
Sometimes you think a creature’s
angry when he’s shy. Ah! - there it is
again, on cue, another bit of voodoo
bending slightly over, looking up
at you, pleading with an eye.

.