play on (ode to a tough little kitty) 

they say a cat finds you 

like a mirror in a puddle 

blasé to infinity 

as they spoon into your arms 

this bundle of limbs 

love being long 

no one will tell you 

but there’s virtue 

in disrespecting fences 

exempli gratia Marie 

food is an act of love 

for both of us 

whether garlicky hummus 

or seafood salmon pâté 

she made it to the kitchen 

threading a path through my hobbit feet sharing the stars with another 

no longer fearing the night

new year’s bingo 

over medium 

the yolk’s still alive 

shards of bacon 

in the teeth 

Gramma jostles my shoulder

feel these eggs 

she’s alive on VHS 

exotic for the holidays 

robes of silk 

lions on the carpet 

gift-wrapped mandarins and

pomegranate bubble bath

Trevor Graumann is a Winnipeg writer and musician whose work has previously appeared in Prairie Fire and CV2. He has a BA in English from the University of Winnipeg and believes the art of conversation will save us all.