For Nadia

When I hide, know it is not from
you but from the great weight

of life. I am losing fur
at a pace I can’t fathom.
 
I don’t know what
ever is happening–

I have lost two brothers
and two houses

and thus when I swipe,
I swipe right at you

forgetting the claws
on my paws. It’s instinct, this self-

defense, this tenacity
that keeps me alive.

I dream of a time
when I can let you touch

me without calling
for the guards.