the forces of midnight mystery lone black green eyes piercing
birthed three small creatures blind, helpless, crawling, shrieking
into an undefined, overgrown grass jungle abandoned shed
where a 10-year-old girl had happened to tread

she carried their reluctant bodies through the woods to her indoors
still surprised that they could breathe, that they were soft, that they were warm
when her mother saw, she didn’t yell for being bitten
instead, she said, “we’ll keep these kittens”

so the girl waited until each one opened its sleepy eyes
and named them by color, by grace, by size
they found homes for all but one
but lucky was the girl, for her life then begun

little cat, bloated, pink-pawed, furry heap
beside the girl, she spent every night asleep
six years passed of sweet companionship
six years of laying and of playing with catnip

one day her best friend disappeared back into that forbidden forest
never again to see the one who held her dearest
the cat was protected by her brown coat, her swift paws, her glowing blue eyes
but forever the domestic girl was forced to say goodbye.

—By Julia W., 17, Virginia