A Tree, A Dog, A Man, A Cat

The young oak grows from the earth

With assurance

In May its leaves new and docile

In the eight years I’ve lived here

I’ve watched it grow considerably

Its branches now extending

Over the fire pit and picnic table

Almost reaching the house

In the fall and winter

Brown leaves cling to its barren branches

There are a few that remain after

It sheds most of its leaves

And when springtime comes

These few that remain

Hold tight in the wind

As the last one falls

The new growth begins

Its is a pattern we have noticed

My dog is older now

His best life long friend has passed

Still he protects me

And is an emotional support

He follows me into the office

And during Zoom meetings

He lays at my feet

When I leave he awaits fervently

For the moment I return

He watches and observes

Every move and gyration of

My simple life in my simple home

He follows me back and forth

To and fro as I pace

The long double wide where we live

He is always there

We walk the path together

And slowly he explores nature

As if it is a deep part of his soul

He is connected to the breeze

And the plants and animals

That surround us on this property

Though he is aging

He is happy and his life is full

Older now he sits at his computer

Perched on his stool by the window

He does his crossword puzzles

On the PC laptop we bought at Costco

He drinks his coffee and peruses the news

And everyday he works in the kitchen

Even though he is disabled

He cleans and prepares meals

With passion and zest

In his aging and disability

He has not lost his passion for food

He is my rock

We are both sober now

With considerable time

Our life is simpler

And we are emotionally grounded

We deal with the difficulty

Of our disabilities differently now

We are sane and steady

We have each other’s backs

We may struggle
But we are so happy

We are together in this life

I do not know what I would do

Without him

Every day she sleeps

She sleeps and sleeps

Curled on the bed

Or in the laundry basket

I cover my clean laundry with a towel

Knowing she might decide

To sleep there

In the guest room

Or in a chair in the yard

She takes her daily rest

She drinks from a pint glass

On the kitchen counter

We refresh her water regularly

She is more cuddly in her old age

But wild with her part bengal

She loves me and we cuddle

When she asks for pets

She is always just out of reach

She is an only cat now

The others have passed

But she keeps us close

Wild in her way she is beautiful

One of the most beautiful cats

I have ever seen

She is my baby

She my is home