WHEN CATS STAY

[Dedicated to Cassie, who left us]

When cats Stay,
we more often than not turn
	our backs on them,

we leave for hours
in the wake of their cries,
and upon returning we don't even glance their Way,
and yet they Stay.


When cats Stay,
there are times we are reading
and we get perturbed when they play between pages

we shove them off our laps
to return to our Computers

and kick them beneath our feet
because we felt they got in the Way,
and yet cats Stay.

When cats Stay,
there are times we forgot about them
in lieu of the Dog

as they cry to come in
we go out for a walk
	and they wait in the rain
	until you get back 
hoping you'll remember to let them back in
and yet cats Stay.
	

When cats Stay,
its because they Love us
and don't know why

and we say we Cherish them
yet leave them behind

when the times get tough
or the furniture changes

or we move out of state
we give them away
when all they ever wanted to do was Stay.


Your touch and lap was all that mattered,
not the toys or treats or additional pets.

You never felt it,
yet did you stop to hear
The Cat that loved you,
but you couldn't see

And you couldn't understand
the pain you felt
when you woke up
to an empty house.

The cat loved you enough
and thought he did what you wanted,
for your Unspoken words told him
to leave you in peace, 

he never could have imagined you would fall to pieces.

If you try hard enough, the day will come
when Cats will Leave.