Lesson not learned

Our neighbor, old Mrs. Jones

loved her stray cats;

countless cats lived

in the old barn in the back

corner of her large lot.

She fed them dry food

and fresh water everyday.

My mother cursed her,

she hated those cats

and crazy, old Mrs. Jones.

Mother called the cops

to rid the neighborhood

of those foul felines,

but the cats never

crossed into our yard,

so nothing could be done.

Mother dragged me

to church every Sunday,

so she could pray that

something horrible would

happen to Mrs. Jones

and then those cats would

disappear from her sight.

When Mrs. Jones died

mother danced with joy

around our kitchen,

“Thank you, Jesus

for answering my prayers.”

Then she turned to me,

“Feeding those damn cats

is like feeding poor people,

The more you feed them

the more they breed.

If you can’t feed yourself,

you don’t deserve to eat!”

Every night now, while

Mother reads her Bible,