Tante Goia

At 92 she does not need
a lot of teeth
to make her smile known

The kitten with the
black circle around left eye
and uncertain calico

has not grown an inch
in a month

His red flea collar
has been doubled
to stay on

But he is her Dragutsa
--little beloved--
and he hums like a tiger
at her touch

On mornings she is
too dizzy to leave her bed

he stays with her
purring on her chest

reminding her forgetful heart
its sweet percussion

On Sundays
her legs no longer
carry her to prayer

but this sabbath
he brings her his first mouse

looks up
into the altar of her eyes

a diminutive priest
serving his first
grey communion