Kitten girl
you bat away warm yarn ball affections
beckon afflictions forth
'til breaths are drawn, and you grow bored.
Kitten girl
you yawn a shape between W and O
teeth bared sharp even white
designed to bite forkfuls of flavored pasta.
Kitten girl
your ginger hair bristles with the wind
of me passing by, because you care
for the empty food bowl in my hand

and I can't chide you
and your soft standing ears
that sharpen and twitch as I draw near
Do you fear? That I bring you pain?
Like that time I forgot and locked you out
in the singing rain
But it wasn't like you minded
the rain, no
You minded the lock
and that you don't have the key to let yourself inside.

Kitten girl
you stay away and out in the rain
because people don't let stray cats in
and you're too proud to walk through the only open door.