Enough crunchies

What causes the cat*s brain to worry about where his next meal is coming from... especially the brain of an indoor cat? Sure, we*re not so good at cleaning his cat box, but he is not worried about that.  No, it*s when the bowl of dry crunchies gets low.  He stares... like it will miraculously fill.  Of course, his thought/worry waves radiate through the house, and his humans respond.  

When there are two mouthfuls of crunchies

Left In his dish

The cat gets worried.

He paces, then stares

At his dish

Like it will miraculously fill

To the brim.

He gazes beseechingly

At the bowl.

The cat food bag is full in the pantry.

We try to help him

Cut down on his intake.

He is, after all, a very large and gray tabby.

It seems he has memories

Of not enough

Never enough.

It*s not even that he eats it all

When it*s there.

We adopted him years ago now.

He runs to his dish every time someone

Walks to the kitchen.

It seems he thinks someone

Will forget to feed him

This time.

Sometimes

Even though I didn*t live through the Depression

Even though we had no balls of extra string,

All the bits tied together;

Even though we all sat down to dinner every night,

then played Kick the Can until dark,

Or Ghosts at Midnight;

Even though my bed was there waiting,

Food lined up in the fridge for snacks,

Homemade popsicles in the freezer.

Sometimes I think,

Watching the cat,

This time there won*t be enough

Of whatever it is,

Food?  Love?  Sleep?

Sometimes I remember,

Watching the cat,

How hard it is to remember:

There is.