The sign on the door says
“Please do not let the cat outdoors.”
Underneath the sign,
the cat sits
and wonders.

In his mind,
he smells the spring flowers,
watches clouds tumble
through the sky,
and catches birds in mid-flight.

His home,
a velvet pillow
in a corner near the fire
with a china dish of milk,

calls unanswered.
While the cats sits,
inside his glass jail
and hunts for birds.

Mike Pedde 18/04/95