looking at my cat at 3am after bawling my eyes out by Charlie D’Aniello

pillows upon pillows— that’s what you are.

a storm constantly brewing and pouring in short bursts.

clouds upon clouds upon clouds,

dancing across the sky.

theatrics neverending,

pirouettes ever ill-devised.

you run as though a cloud

were a tiger bear sloth—

ever-tripping on the laces of your shoes.

bleached cotton candy flowers in bloom:

not weeds to pull out, but a tree

cut down decades too soon.

jellybean nose and jellybean paws, are you so sweet?

eyes like yellow-green bowls

set out for supper.

cotton candy pillow-cloud tiger—

that’s what you are.

you scream as though mad or excited.

you scream as for love unrequited— it’s not.

---

Charlie D’Aniello (he/him) is a Latinx, trans/queer, neurodivergent author, who often writes about the experience of being ‘other’. He has been or will soon be published in the NoSleep Podcast, Magpie Review, and Hyacinthus Magazine. His novel, “The One and the Other” is out now. Twitter: @beelzebadger / @warninglines