The Reaper's Cat

The Reaper's Cat

By Mary Soon Lee

Winding round the Reaper's feet,
her cat, paws shadow-soft,
fur the gray of rain clouds.

If there's a halt between clients,
the cat may condescend
to settle on her lap.

He wanders where he will,
grooms himself on hospice beds,
chases paper cups down alleyways.

When inclined to solitude,
he climbs up moonbeams
to drink the Milky Way.

When inclined to kindness,
a flaw in his perfection,
he brushes past the bereft.

Unseen, unguessed,
his whiskered touch gentles
a portion of their grief.

* * *

Mary Soon Lee was born and raised in London, but now lives in Pittsburgh. She writes both fiction and poetry, and has won the Rhysling Award and the Elgin Award. Her latest book is The Sign of the Dragon, an epic fantasy with Chinese elements, told in over 300 poems, now available as an ebook with an illustrated print edition forthcoming in 2021. After twenty-five years, her website has finally been updated: marysoonlee.com.

What inspires you to write and keep writing?
Ever since I can remember, I’ve derived huge pleasure from reading, but I didn’t plan to be a writer. It didn’t even occur to me as a serious possibility. Instead I studied mathematics, computer science, and aerospace. Then, after coming to America in 1990, I ended up with some spare time, and decided to write for a bit. Once I’d started, I didn’t want to stop. I would love to be able to give other people the same pleasure I’ve found in reading.