A cat wanders onto the stage,
pauses, looks at the empty
performer’s spot, light now dormant,
shakes its head, turns round and walks off.

A cat wanders onto the stage,
stops, sits, lifts paw, scratches ear,
licks paw, rubs ear, purrs, content.

A cat wanders onto the stage,
longing for the warmth of people,
the yarn of words being spoken,
a saucer of fresh performance.

A cat wanders onto the stage,
defiantly, fully aware of interrupting.
It looks at you, and it knows.
It knows you also yearn
for the warmth of applause, yours and others
for the scent of words, buzzing and stirring
for the touch of performance, moving and soothing
for the realm that exists behind closed curtains.

The cat looks at you, then exits, stage left.