Jacaranda blossoms on the sidewalk,

stomped upon until their purple bruises

the white heat. The cat steps so carefully

inside the apartment; long nails on wood

clatter like a cane. Should she be allowed

to live out days until she can’t sustain

breath any longer? Her fur falls away,

but she still steps on ants, crunches them sans

teeth. Is the protein a problem for her

kidneys? She is frail and would be pale if

she were an old, old woman. She would be

translucent, clear, but in love with colors.