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the cat and I eat twice a day
I serve her before myself
a rule I learned from a rabbi
and she finishes her meal
before I even sit down
covering the leftovers
with invisible leaves before
returning to the maintenance of her fur
or to toy with a dirty sock
panther-dragged from room to room
as she mutters disconsolate subtext
I used to think the rabbi’s rule was meant to instill
respect for our animals
a lesson in responsibility
empathy for those in our care
but now I understand
it’s merely to avoid
her judgmental eyes
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Discuss...