Diego walks in the house calling
and will not stop until he finds me.
He’s not seeking food, just reassurance.

Where are you? There you are.
You were gone, and I couldn’t find you.

I’m here! I call,
knowing without looking that
he’s paused in the doorway
as I type. I hear scratching
in the catbox, and I know
he’s found another kind of
comfort, which makes me
shake my head:

You were just outside;
you could go out there.

But no, he covers, hops out
with sandy feet, comes to me,
still typing. He sits, looks up,
purrs.

Poki joins us, hops up
on the box next to me,
four penetrating eyes
relaying an insistent message
before they wander off
to curl into naps:

Here you are.
Here you truly are.

•••

(Originally published with the title “You Are Here”)