when she hears that somebody has abandoned cats in the woods.
She said it is cruel
and that if they live at all
they become infested with parasites
die early
sometimes starve
and fall prey to other creatures.
I know she is right.
It is a callous person
who climbs back in their car
after dumping a living animal,
their problem solved.
But sometimes I see a feral cat
slinking in the shadows
looking up and out with wild eyes
and I wonder if maybe it’s not worth having a somewhat shorter life
if one can go where they choose
and live by their wits
rather than sitting plump on the windowsill
staring out
at what is denied.