Observations On Cats Inside And Outside Of Boxes

A truck goes by.
One cat sleeps,
the other runs. 

I do nothing but watch.
I do nothing but tell
stories — some are even
true.

Was there a truck? 
I think so. If not, 
I’ll make it so.
Such power in lying
if this is a lie.
Such resolute power
in sitting and watching
if one can tell a story afterward.

The cat who ran knows this.
The one who sleeps might know this
or might not.

I can choose
the stories to tell
about the cats and turn them
into fodder. One’s sleeping in a box
and maybe isn’t even aware
that I’m here. The other one’s
ears keep twitching at the sound
of my keyboard. Maybe. Maybe
they move at the sound of starlings,
or in fear of the truck returning,

if there was a truck.

Schrodinger failed to account
for the observations
of the cat in the box
regarding the nature
of living and dying. He knew
the discussion was ridiculous.
He chose his story without asking
the cat for its view. The cat was likely
more afraid of trucks on the street
than such a story as his.

It would be nice
to know the truth.
Truth be told, I suspect
it would be best for me
to just pet the cats,
both of them,
while we’re all still here.