“For my ally is the force
and a powerful ally it is
life creates it
makes it grow
its energy surrounds us and binds us 
luminous beings are we
not this crude matter'”- Yoda, Star Wars:The Empire Strikes Back

Before I met you 
the closest companionship came to me
chasing black cats
and wiley coyotes 
inbetween staring contests, around my barracks lot
I never caught them

Then you showed up
A full grown Russian Blue alley cat with anvil-cloud grey shimmering coat 
perched on my window sill 
looking over my shoulder 
while I watch Star Wars
unafraid and really digging “The Empire Strikes Back”
It’s at the scene where Yoda explains to Luke
“you must unlearn what you have learned”
it’s March, quarantine is in session
so I opened the back sliding door and let you mozy on in
you immediately scanned the area and went to work mousing the perimeter
yeah, you’re a keeper

flash forward a week
the property owner decided they dont want you here 
even though the management told me otherwise
and hell I gave it a shot after I got you yours
Got you your name your tags your chip your flea meds
and I posted your best tinder poses on the local rehoming network
but if it wasnt allergies that had folks reconsidering 
it was the dolts hitting me up out of the blue wanting you 
you! to be their outdoor cat even though thier loved ones were deathly allergic

No
Alamogordo law says you are I are each other’s
I say you’re mine
Hell even my roomate says you’re mine
and as you wake me up every morning 
walking all over my body meowing into my face 
leading me to your food bowl scenting me as I walk
following me around the house, my little shadow
kneading the blankets beside me at the end of the day

The force has bound us 
you’ve made me grow
my shadow.