overcast

I lay in my hammock, a grizzened black kitty on my lap, purring away and staring at me with green eyes, swinging away under the sky of grey and murk.

The feline slowly closes his eyes in ecstasy as I groom him with elongated nails, gentle scratches and pressure, which sends him promptly off to a catnap. I cease the petting. After all, I don't want to wake the cute little bugger. I fold my hands upon my chest and stare up at the sky, my normally too-sensitive eyes able to appreciate the overcast glory.

As I stare and dream, I feel the breeze dance across my naked arms and watch the salt-and-pepper ears of the sleeping one twitch back and forth, listening to the chickens around the side of the house and flickering back to pick up the sounds of chittering songbirds. He awakens, seeming to realize that I haven't been touching him for the last little bit, and re-situates, pushing his head against my hands and I crumble to his will.

His eyes, now open, engulf me, and I feel myself intrigued by the dark flecks on a base of light sage, his black pupil steadily meeting my gaze. As he gets comfortable again, settling down and laying his head over one side of the hammock, the wind playing games with his fur, his eyes begin to close slowly. I withdraw my hands again.

I again check the sky.

At a time, there is one or two patches of cloudlessness. Bits of pure blue peek through, small enough that I could cover them with my palm if I wanted a faultless grey day. The clouds dance and sway, covering the holes and finding new ones only to smooth those out as well.

One of my feet has fallen asleep and the other leg has been resting straight too long. I move to shift and the kitty falls between my legs. He looks at me with no reproach and simply moves again. His head upon my hand, I lazily draw my fingernails through his fur.

A half hour passed as such is paradise.