I Let Sleeping Cats Lie

The black cat likes to sleep on my stone porch.
He's not my cat, but that doesn't bother me.
I understand the sun on the stones
is a lovely place for him to rest on a chilly day.
Sometimes in the summer,
I'll step outside to find him sleeping on our swing.
It's cushioned and covered 
and I understand it's a comfy place for a cat to rest.
He barely moves when I walk past him,
though sometimes he'll cock his head
as if to say, “Oh, it's you.”
Usually, I just go about my business
and we leave each other alone.
If I'm feeling chatty,
I'll pause to remind him he should be glad it's me
and not my husband walking by.
My husband isn't a fan of felines
and will use various means to chase them away.
The cat pretends it doesn't hear me
and goes back to sleep.
And yet— 
if my husband decides to open the door,
the black cat immediately scampers off
to find other, more welcoming, 
places to snooze.

~Elise Skidmore ©2025