A Cat in Our Bedroom
written by: Mayumi Yamamoto
When I enter our bedroom,
you bolt under my bed.
Although you have your own
—a cozy, plush one—
you don’t jump into it.
When I approach you
and peep under the bed,
you retreat to the wall
and stare at me
in the darkness.
When I lie on my bed
supine with my eyes closed,
listening to the radio,
you curl up into a tight ball
in your warm bed
next to mine.
When I’m absorbed
reading a book,
prone on my bed,
and you’ve completely slipped my mind,
you meow and give me
a sidelong glance,
lowering your head with your face tilted.
You raise your bottom to stick it out,
and flirt with me.
Kuh, I’m your mother.
Behave properly, I say.
But we have yet to develop
our common language.
Mayumi Yamamoto is a writer and academic based in Kyoto, Japan. She studied in India and worked in Nepal as well as in Japan before her retirement. Her poems and other writings have appeared in the Space Ink, Literary Yard, Indian Periodical, RIC Journal and Ariel Chart.
Latest posts by Mayumi Yamamoto (see all)
- A Cat in Our Bedroom - September 15, 2025
- A Blooming Grave in My Balcony - May 5, 2024
- Last Conversation with My Daughter - January 19, 2024
