Member Poem

Evelyn sits at the bright bay window
in the community room.
Marmy, the marmalade kitty
curls up around her abdomen
and purs good vibes into Evelyn's weak heart.
.
Goooood--
we're coming along now.
The pace maker doesn't have to work quite so hard.
Blessed be the nurse who,
inspired by a 2009 study on Cardiovascular Diseases
and the benefits of cat-petting,
decided to go out on a limb and give a lovable stray
a second shot at life
by extending the life of her resident.
.
Studies show
that plants grow faster when read to,
that children's language skills
develop faster when they read to house plants,
that house plants improve the air quality in apartments,
that renting an apartment can be cheaper,
in the long run,
for a disabled person.
.
The studies have got to show some basis
for the success of unlikely human relationships to continue
under such extremes as world war,
famine, and the reemergence of prehistoric diseases.
Present us with a revised edition
for the peer-reviewed guidebook to the Universal Heart.
.
We have got to continue to apply for the funding
so Love can continue its exploratory tract for the 5,777th year
in the Department of the Ephemeral and Unconditional.
.
The instinctual drive towards connection
is the adjunct professor and the underpaid research assistant
who hit the restart button
on Life's Ultimate Purpose
for further study,
morning into morning,
after an over-brewed Starbucks coffee.