My orange cat
is getting old.  

She is thin.  

I can feel
her bones
through
what
used to be
thick, dense
fur.   

Her ears,
diaphanous,
have just
a layer
of ginger fuzz
remaining.  

She spends
her days
napping
on two pillows
at the end
of our bed.  

She is bossy
in her old age.
Demanding food,
lapping out
the gravy,
and leaving
behind
the meat.  

-Maggie Brewer