New York steak
medium rare
in Moda
for a street cat
and me
he passed
on mashed potatoes
and creamed spinach
just meat for him
and a rub
against my chair
as I sipped
Turkish coffee
pals
to the end
feeding the hungry
Jake the cat
every morning
at 5am
I rise to cries
f
rom the cat
with one torn ear
who I call
Jake
who has adopted me
or me him
the issue unclear
but the feeding
established
a routine
and though
others join him
he is the one
that gets my attention
for life
has not been kind
to this survivor
and I now
have been chosen
as a stand-in
for a benevolent
host
in this unkind
world
what one can and cannot do
you can’t mend
all the fences
put out
all the fires
feed all the hungry
in this world
you can only walk
the road you find
yourself on
by choice or design
or happenstance
and try not to hurt
anyone if possible
while reconciling yourself
to being misunderstood
more often
than not
Leonard Durso 