Our cat Matisse stretches on the floor
long, lean, luxurious,
as if being pulled by opposing forces
nose tugged away from tail
just to the snapping point,
lengthening, curving
until he is a fury apostrophe
displaying poise and grace.
The pulling comes from forces not outside the cat
but from feline confidence deep within its cells
as each muscle fiber races precisely from the bone,
and the grace comes from instincts deeper still
as the cat displays a complete dignity.
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