House Sitting

by Deb Pfeffer

Week one

The orange shorthair
freaks me out -
double pawed,
his food wet,
smelly.
He’s skittish. 
We don’t like each other.
He stays out all night
Hunting, no doubt.
Gone.    Good.

Week two

Tuck rolls to his back
on warm deck boards
as I write.
Last night he snuggled
against my back as I slept.
And today we say goodbye,
as I cry. If I could,
I would stay out all night
hunting mice
as a gift.