safe

the fire pops and spits
making the cat jump
and dig his claws
into the tender flesh
of my thigh

the night sky outside
glows
pregnant with an anticipated storm

I settle into a story
about a country girl
and a city guy
having an affair in the woods

occasionally I look up
watch my husband
concentrate on a crossword puzzle
chewing pensively on the end of his pen

this man
my lover
my best friend
whom I've grown up with

who told me years ago
yes, in fact, I was lovable
so much so
that he simply had no choice
but to be with me

and over the years
he convinced me too

my other cat
is curled up behind
my teenaged daughter's knees
as she reads a Dean Koontz novel

all of this
in
our home
where we live
together

every day

no matter what
battles
I fight each day

here is where
I return

and breathe deeply
because

it is here
that I am

safe.