Toby
I. Adopting and Adapting
I brought the handsome animal home,
sparing him the shelter's syringe;
watched the old cat acclimate
to a place that wasn't a cage,
his worry-glossed eyes wide, peeking
meekly from the open carrier,
the massive frame of him trembling,
his nervous nose twitching,
sniffing the well-worn gray carpet
while creeping forward into the light -
curiously, cautiously touring my apartment -
exploring the rooms of new life.
