Jonathan Hayes- A Poem

Taking a Bath

After work,
I left the apartment door open

Heard the cat with its bells
Somewhere by the hallway and kitchen

But, the bells were jumbled and erratic
And he didn’t come to my bath when I whistled

So, I prepared myself for murder on dry land
Got out with my towel ready for a dead mouse

But, I found only mud, leaves and splats
Of red on the hardwood floor

And of course the cat stretching its paw into the space
Between the stove and wall where the dying mouse lay

The mouse now hiding behind our stove silent and still
I called the wife to brace her for what the cat brought home

The wife was at Safeway getting
Friday $5 fried chicken for supper


Tonight, I’ll stick to beer