earth note 618

new jersey 1999

there was and probably still is

a group of feral cats
in the alley near paterson falls
cousins in a lineage
maybe connected by time
to williams
ginsberg
hurricane carter
no this is not a name drop
if you approached any of these cats
they would run
even hiss
orange and tiger-striped
screaming independent
cutting a trail past
overflowing rubbish cans
broken concrete magicians
the mist from the falls
the spirit lives

--- e b bortz