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Merlin

Valerie Egar

__________

A cat not there 
until he is— 

sudden appearance 
his dark art.

Hidden in shadow, 
he side-way skitters 

from corners, 
lurks under the bed, 

pops his claws out 
to snag me.

He perches 
on the bookshelf

above my head, 
hurls himself 

onto the sofa 
as soon as I curl up. 

Mysterious 
as the Sphinx, 

he finds moonlight 
more alluring

than sun patches. 
He bathes his black fur 

in silver light
transforming

moon magic
into his own.

__________

Mr. Zen, who runs the house!

__________

Valerie L. Egar is a poet and essayist with works published in The Forge Literary Magazine, Jackdaw Review, The Closed Eye Open, Lullwater Review, Barrow Street, and other journals. She is currently working on a middle grade novel in free verse tentatively titled The Book of Keeka written from the point of view of a six-year-old husky who begins a new life after being relinquished to the SPCA. Valerie shares her life with a rescue cat, Mr. Zen.

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