Christina E. Petrides
The cat laps cream from the evening milking
and stretches into a pleased crescent on the straw,
curling her toes and talons in delight.
Her chin arcs to the farmer’s calloused hand.
Stiff bovine limbs muster awkward hops
so as not to tread on this small purring predator.
The watchdog barks indignantly outside.
At home, the farmer’s son practices the violin,
playing simple nursery songs;
his mother hums emphatically from the kitchen,
willing him to improve.
The stars quietly appear,
and the cat climbs to the hayloft,
curling into a perfect circle of grey
that vanishes into darkness.
An American expatriate, Christina E. Petrides lives and works on Jeju Island, Republic of Korea. More than a score of her poems have appeared in various periodicals over the last two years. Her first children’s book, Blueberry Man, was published in 2020 by Tchaikovsky Family Books.
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