All night they snuggle, dreaming of outside
Fur pollenates the bed, inside, outside
Shake-it-off mornings, they have been waiting
I stumble sleepy with the cold outside
My friend calls cats stoic: I say patient
They croon for their beloved yard outside
I make them wait for the light to ward off
what might be lurking in the dark outside
But their dreams need to be real, a new day,
a new adventure awaits them outside
Surpassing catnip and bell-bellied mice,
they long for where the Real Thing lives: outside
Meows sound like my name, purred syllables
circling and rubbing legs: let’s go outside
Open up the door, come on Amy, look
Everything is waiting out there, outside
From yesterday’s NaNoWriMo prompt: a ghazal for my cats!
The Poetry Patio 