The cat is a fastidious clerk,
aware of all new items as they arrive
and cataloging them as soon
as they are placed in the home.
Chairs in particular must be
closely inspected, tested for
sleepability and comfort, and yet
all seem to pass the test initially
though some are abandoned
quickly, giving way to others
that have met the test of time.
It is much the same with people:
each new person must be reviewed,
watched with care and only when they
meet her standards are they
to be welcomed by the opportunity
to pet her, for there is nothing
worse for a visitor than to be
ignored, a mark of shame that we
understand even if the guest does not.