Long claws scrape
down fog-slick stones,
survival
not a question,
but an act.
Masked eyes shine
with street lamp gold
as small gray paws
corner baguette crusts
in pots of scarlet bougainvillea,
urban quarry set out
by these housed ones
who tithe in bread to hear
these sure ones
pass by at midnight,
searching.
First published in Allegro Poetry Magazine
Issue 19, December 2018
published by Sally Long
Poem by M.S. Rooney
M.S. Rooney lives in Sonoma, California with poet Dan Noreen. Her work appears in journals, including Illuminations, Leaping Clear, The Halcyone and The OffBeat, and anthologies, including A Walk with Nature: Poetic Encounters that Nourish the Soul (University Professors Press). Her work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.