----------------------------------------
I am reminded anew
of how nice it is, on an instinctive level,
to have a cat in my life.
For what can be compared to such moments
as the one in the middle of last night,
when I woke to a meow and a slight shake of the bed,
and was soon greeted by loud purring and whiskers at my ear.
She sat on the pillow and nosed at the covers
until I sleepily raised them,
at which point she promptly crawled in,
turned around, and lay down across my arm,
like a warm, relaxed teddy bear,
purring into the night.
----------------------------------------