Six neighbors head out
on their morning stroll as
six of us oldies work out
to the oldies with Shelley
on Marilyn’s lawn.

The couple across the street
emerges from their house, each
holding onto a leash-tugging dog,
and two leashless cats trailing
a good distance behind,
like teenagers not wanting
to be seen with their parents—
but not wanting to be left out.

The hefty calico and equally
ample gray tabby with white
undercarriage amble along,
as they often do with their
people, Marilyn says, and
we all stop to watch.

Do the cats always come
along? we ask the couple.

When they feel like it,
the woman responds.

Cats, someone says,
and we all nod.

Later, as we oldies heft
hand weights overhead,
the party of six rounds
the block, and we stop to
cheer them on, especially
the cats, both of them far
behind, trotting to catch up—
their workout almost over—
heading for the barn and,
with luck, a nice snack.