the constancy of cats

by Crystal Sidell

our plat of paradise slipped 
through a cosmic rip overnight. 
it isn’t every day a magnificent 
white mushroom sprouts—as if t’was
seeded there millennia ago—like 
an unlit lamp through the wood-
planked floor. the cats, purple 
in this dimension, explore its giant
stalk with twitching whiskers, 
wet it with their nose-sweat, tap 
it with their boysenberry, deer-
like antlers. soon bored ’cause 
this ain’t no cardboard box now, 
is it? drizzle the air with huff-
snuffling en route to look outside. 

a trio of excited not-bird chirps 
bounce off the panes to let us know: 
the fuschia buttercup patches 
are gathering with coronal significance, 
sneezing pollen at two twinkling 
turquoise suns. dragonflies flutter 
above the petals, their wings a dazzle 
of breadth and color, fanning rock-sized 
dirt against the window. best stay within, 
where the food chain hasn’t flipped! 
later, licking paws and slicking fur 
with the insouciance of the waited-upon. 

the holy hour arrives: from the plastic 
container labeled cat food, we pour 
kibble the shape of honeycombs and 
watch gears, cloud-steaming with 
cold. and while the royal ones nibble 
from glass bowls, we keep our Sunday 
routine of reading and sheet-washing. 
no reason yet to fret. let’s wait until 
tomorrow. perhaps this tear will heal, 
with us on the right side of the cosmic 
seam. where the cats can bathe on floors 
golden sun-stroked, and we can 
escape this mushroom spore-smoke.

Tampa Bay native Crystal Sidell grew up playing with toads in the rain and indulging in speculative fiction. She draws inspiration from the natural world, travel, and all things spooky. A Pushcart/Best of the Net/Dwarf Star Nominee and Rhysling Finalist, her work appears in 34 Orchard, Apparition Lit, BFS Horizons, Eye to the Telescope, F&SF, Haven Spec, JOURN-E, On Spec, Orion's Belt, Sprawl Mag, Strange Horizons, Trollbreath, and others.