Rickety Old Bench

by Stephanie Unger

No one understands why I leave the rickety old bench
out in the corner of my garden
when it’s unlikely anyone will ever sit on it—
except no one knows about Haiku,
our neighbor’s ancient grey cat,
who finds his way there in the late evening
to nest and profusely sun himself in the day’s last rays,
taking time to stare into the still dusk that only he
and a few other of his like-minded fellows populate
while the rest of us take cover for our dinner and evening rituals,
away from the airy nectars that all felines live to imbibe,
the same that call Haiku back each evening
to the rickety old bench no one ever notices
he comes to sit upon.

— from Juniper Volume 1, Issue 2