black cat with one eye

the black cat 
with one eye 
walks by 

this is one of the yards 
in the neighborhood 
the cats know... 

there is no dog 
there are chairs with 
     cushions 

there is a way 
to the alley 
there is a hole 
in the fence 
cut 
for when i 
had a cat 

they walk 
they stalk 
sometimes they talk 
to me 

mostly i am used 
for my cushions and 
and my chairs
and the calm, quiet 
air 

no kids- 
not much in the way of 
power tools 
or blowers 

and water- 
and fish 
to watch

little birds 
do hop about-  
these cats 
are not much interested 

they are being fed 
somewhere else
worried over 
by someone else 
vet bills paid by 
someone else 

part of the landscape 
part of the scene 
these cats 
walk by 
me