Stray Cats of Como
by Deron Eckert
We walk from a rehearsal in the rain
as the many stray cats of Como wail
for the helping hand of no one special,
a prayer that their little song remain.
You and I join in their futile campaign
in our own, personal wassail
to the communal city at large, a tale
to recall, no need to explain.
We create a bittersweet memory
for only the two of us to remember
while we are young enough to be
drunk in a strange place and silly
enough to seek out the splendor
of a world we will never fully see.
as the many stray cats of Como wail
for the helping hand of no one special,
a prayer that their little song remain.
You and I join in their futile campaign
in our own, personal wassail
to the communal city at large, a tale
to recall, no need to explain.
We create a bittersweet memory
for only the two of us to remember
while we are young enough to be
drunk in a strange place and silly
enough to seek out the splendor
of a world we will never fully see.
Deron Eckert is a poet and writer who lives in Lexington, Kentucky. His work has appeared in The Blue Mountain Review, Rattle, Stanchion, Beaver Magazine, Thin Air Magazine, The Fourth River, and elsewhere. He can be found on Instagram @deroneckert.