The Calico

I think I must have lived
Once before not as a girl
But as a nimble housecat
Who climbs up the furniture
And jumps from bed to bed.
This would explain why I can fall from
High places and never get hurt,
Landing upright on my feet. It would explain
Why I hate the sound of
Howling spaniels at night, and
When I hear them
I can never fall asleep, or why
In my childhood, I loved to nimbly climb the trees
And stay roosted at the top for hours
Annoyed at interruptions and irritated when
Someone comes to take me down.
Yes, I must have been that timid housecat
Whose soft small breaths are barely heard
Who can see everything in total black
And whose small, quick paws lead the way and
Guide the cat with large, knowing vivid eyes
To safety high up
Under cover of darkness.