Loitering Spirits
What is it to give oneself a dark night and no sleep?
Visiting every place you have ever lived,
Perhaps beginning with the house of your first memory
Where you sat in your parents always dim lit bedroom
Watching and listening to the tick of the antique clock.
To roam the old neighborhood where you dealt with
School,
Street sports,
Friends,
Enemies,
Coming of age disappointments.
Per chance
You’ll find your buddy’s homes,
Now boarded up and run down.
Perhaps junk yards,
Where trees have gnarled themselves
Into images of veterans of many wars,
Crippled limbs looking crutch-like.
And yes…
There will be the surprises.
A black cat leaping out of the shadows
Crossing your path with an arrogance
Only cats can project.
You might show affection for the feline.
In return,
It might rub up against your leg
And let you know he’ll be your guide this dark night
On this street with missing buildings,
Missing lights,
Missing people,
With a few loitering spirits.
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The cat is a lovely companion! I'm pretty sure one of my cats, a stray who had a broken leg that healed remarkably well, is a shape-shifter púca with an ulterior motive:) He definitely likes to walk with me on outdoor rambles.
The "missing" reality you refer to is a poignant reminder of the passing of time. Nothing stays the same.
Blessings, Odin.