I am texting you pictures of cats:
cats doing jobs, using “z” instead of “s,”
Look! Cats in frog hats, cats riding on Roombas.
I am texting you cats instead of
what I can’t bring myself to tell you:
I am sending out the save-the-date
for the unveiling of my grandmother’s
headstone. I need to shovel this morning’s snowfall and
register my children for next year’s summer camp.
I was in the emergency room with my dad last week—
trying to recite prayers I didn’t know the meaning of,
to take note of the medical words that I did—
and I just want you to see how funny this kitten is:
curled up in a pile of hay in the barn next to the lambs,
as if it belonged there.

Pam Yve Simon (she/her) earned her bachelor of arts in English and American literature from New York University. Her poetry and photography has appeared in various online and print publications. She was awarded the Analog Science Fiction and Fact Analytical Laboratory Award for Best Poem of 2024 for her poem “Gravity.” Say hi to her on Bluesky Social @PamYve.bsky.social or visit: pamyve.wordpress.com

Header photography and artwork by Jordan Keller-Wilson