Ellie

She snuggles up
Against me in bed,
A black and white cat
Whose brother, Beni, looks
Just like her, but his face is
More Siamese and he greets
Me as I come downstairs in
The early morning but Ellie
Insists on sleeping with
Carol and I, claws out
In a stretch either
Toward Carol or
I as the cat is
Not off-put
By a bed
Blanket
Tossed
On her,
Or a
Pillow
Shoving
Her out of
The way at 3
O’clock, or the
Dog Rosie sleeping
At the bottom of the
Bed whom Ellie hisses
At each time we awaken
Her by rolling over or a
Quick trip in the night.
No matter what we
Do Ellie comes
Back for more
Warmth even
In summer
When the
Heat is
Too much.
For a few weeks,
Though I did appreciate
Ellie’s snuggling up when
Two weeks ago I fell on
My aged bottom that
Ached until Ellie laid
Up against me at
Night warming
My aching
Gluteus
Maximus
Taking away
My pain for which
I now feel regret each
Time I pillow fight the
Cat out of bed for a
Few minutes until
She returns to
Snuggle yet
Again
Unfazed
While Carol,
Asleep, strokes
The cat’s fur
Murmuring,
To which
Ellie
Purrs.