Cat and bird
The world is so complex. Is it wrong
to stroke my cat with a hand smelling of
prosciutto (let alone eating meat my
self)? If I attribute personhood to
the sparrows in my garden and feed them,
must I stick to a schedule? Provide seed
and apples, not packaged ‘Berry-Flavoured
Truffles’? Or do they exercise free will?
When I shout at the neighbours’ cat, who sits
underneath the trees waiting for sparrows,
may I threaten violence? Brandish a branch?
I am sorry to trouble you with my
questions. Everything is heavy, weighed down
with moral freight. Each breath melts a glacier.