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POETRY
Cats
Once upon a time there were wild cats
but I doubt the “once upon’s” past-tense tolerance.
The orange kitten pretends not to mind confinement;
he behaves himself to build up our trust’s tolerance.
My allergies come and go, but mostly
I like to tell myself their absence is increased tolerance.
What people call domestication I
would personally define as tolerance.
One day all the cats had a conference, hive-minded
over long distances: let’s try them and their food’s tolerance.
When the kitten can’t stand it, he climbs trees,
jumps the fence, strains the neighbor’s tolerance.
Seek and you can find love, acceptance, and affection
that respects and surpasses just tolerance.
TLDR: I am writing a new playful series of ghazals. Details below.
For a while (years), I’ve been curious about the ghazal poetic form. I’ve researched them, read them, and have tried — unsuccessfully — to write them. Most of my efforts have been abandoned and lurk unfinished in notebooks.
