My Feral Diva

mackerel-spotted
ah, pied! striped, stippled, speckled
flecked with glitter-gleam-shimmer
silk-glow, slipping
from beneath the bed, ice cave eyes
glory of a brindle cat 
retreating with silver-pink salmon 
glistening in dark
corners of her sanctuary
treasure-savor, unctuous-
licking rapture of fishiness, 
deep drone of ease, ignoring 
one sly human finger stroking
the tip of one briefly forgotten paw

Grace Massey has a BA from Smith College and an MA in English from Boston University. She is a retired editor, having worked for many years in educational publishing. Her poetry combines careful observation with lyricism and often a bit of whimsy or a hint of the spiritual. She has been recently published in Thimble, Amethyst Review, Front Porch Review, and Vita Brevis, and forth-coming in Soul-Lit. When she isn't writing, she’s taking ballet and Baroque dance classes, working in her garden, or socializing shelter cats. Grace is an avid animal lover. Her own feral diva is a shy green-eyed, striped beauty named Sage.

Published March 28 2022