:3

"Catfish"

[a fable]

Kitten lives with humans.

It's not a perfect home and

They're not perfect people but

They take care of her the best they can and

Sometimes they take her outside

Through fields to ponds and lakes

To see the fishes.

One day kitten found a guppy

Who was friendlier than the others:

He didn't swim away from her like all the rest but

Drifted closer.

When she pawed at him and splashed in sport

He played along and blew her bubbles and

The two grew closer.

Kitten came back the next day

To see guppy and

They played together more and soon

They fell in love.

From then on

She came to visit him as often as she could and

It was fun

Until kitten was scolded for

"Being mean" to the fishes and

Dragged begrudgingly back home.

They didn't let her out again.

Kitten thought she would

Never see guppy again and so

She mewed in tears for nights.

Then one day a fishing trip

Brought home a guppy in a baggy and

Plunked it into a big glass bowl

To stay with us now.

Kitten cautiously approached the fishbowl

With high hopes and found

It was the same guppy she'd loved so well:

It was her friend and so

She pawed the glass excitedly and

Guppy blew her bubbles and

Made kissy faces and

Kitten twitched her nose and

Wished she could take him out and kiss him but

She couldn't so

She pressed her lips gently against the fishbowl and

Pretended.

It wasn't a perfect love and

They weren't a perfect match but

They loved the best they could and

They were happy

Until kitten was scolded for

"Being mean" to guppy and

Declawed and sent away and ordered

Never to play with guppy again.

Infuriated but with no choice

Other than to submit

She sat across the room

All day every day

Inked her paws

Drew him pictures

Held them up and

Smiled.

They couldn't be together but

They loved the best they could and

They were happy.