AlleyCat
by Ted L Glines

(There is a little bit of lion
in every tabby-cat. Once in a
while, you've got one with  a
Napoleon complex...)

She don't want or need to hear
none of that "kitty-kitty-kitty"
hurry and bring that food right here
or this ain't gonna be pretty,
beware her soft and kneading paws
so sweet - you're thinkin wrong
wait'll you feelher teeth and claws
you'll be singin another song,
she's not the weakest thing you've met
to think so is a boner
she ain't no furry toy or pet
and she don't have no owner,
she's be learnin her "roots" ya see
and she knows she's really a lion
so you'd best treat her regally
if you don't wanta go home cryin,
don't be tricked by her cuddly purr
and all her fluffy frills
her innocent look is a food-chain lure
and she purrs before she kills,
lookit her walkin down the street
all sleek and proud and fat
everyone thinkin she's so sweet
my "sabre-tooth" alley cat,
now - what do you think of that,
please reflect
and give respect
to my "killer-mouth" pud-i-tat.

Alone
by Ted L Glines

stomach churning
skin  burning
toilet haste
vomit taste
life dissembling
weakly  trembling
blind -- groping
long past hoping
final yelp
no  one to  help
clear to grey
time to pray
grey to black
no  way back
black  to white
spirit bright
no breath no groan
still  -- flesh --  bone
peace -- dead alone
~~~ ethereal time ~~~
eternal  blurring
something stirring
life assembling
weakly trembling
blind  -- groping
dreaming -- hoping
clear to grey
time to prey
grey  to  black
no going back
black to white
lights -- bright
scream  --  moan
moving -- flesh -- bone
pain -- borne  alone

Author's Notes: Yes,  "prey" is intentional, for  every newborn thing is, by necessity,  predatory in nature. Sweet cuddly things.  We are happy they are  not born with fully functional teeth and claws (shades of  Stephen  King).

I Forgive You
by Wendy Baral Cooper

A friendship can be like a marriage in that it requires work. Forgiveness frees the forgiver, whether it's accepted or not.

Alarm
by Ted L Glines

Half past two in the morning
air-raid howl - tornado warning
high-pitched wail - piercing night
tornado threat - instant fright
crack the door - step outside
where to go - how to hide
no light to see - all is dark
nothing lights my trailer park
streaks of grey - in the sky
moonlit clouds  streaming by
tornado-horn piercing loud
looking now for funnel cloud
in the dark -  no hint or shape
no matter where I turn to gape
siren wails - screaming night
teeth of fear gnash and bite
shards of  visions - breaking smashing
flying trees - trailers smashing
Patty's image flashes clear
no more to ever hold her near
and then the siren's howling boldness
simply stops - I'm drenched in coldness
sigh relief - now safe from harm
it was a bloody false alarm.

Author's Notes: 2:30 AM June 1,  2005.  Those tornado alarms sound like WWII air raid sirens, scary enough  in the  daylight, but purely terrifying at night when you cannot  hope to see the tornado  coming. Isn't it odd that our human perversity  causes us to be angry at false  alarms (like the real thing would  be preferred?).