Cat Dreams Poem by Barry Middleton

Are cat dreams a curse to those born of Leo,
or are they just a bitter gift of age,
caged symbols of center ring losses?
The betrayal of cat dreams is clear.

I crack my whip and shout denial,
but desire pays no heed.
A slinking feline, a chestnut panther
challenges my sleeping brain with sibilant
vibrato sighs and will not quit the ring.

I want no dream.
They have all abandoned me.
I want not, and yet I do want.
I want this purring dream to stay.
But no one knows like me that dreams
deceive and only death is true.

In time the sleep will come
when all the circus spectacle is done.
The cats will sleep in their boxes,
and I in mine as dreams unravel
along with all my tears,
like play worn balls of yarn,
and cat dream fears.