Hairball

Curled on one side,
a matted ball of fur
small legs twisted
eyes pinched shut
just another city rat
dead by a dumpster
would have been forgotten
and discarded
if not loved
by two homeless children
who saw his small body,
his twisted limbs,
his matted fur,
and named him "Hairball".

Sissie saw him first,
the clump of fur
with pink claws curled at his chest
who did not respond to her gentle voice
calling his new name– "Hairball".
Sissie peered into "Hairball’s"
pinched shut eyes
and tenderly,
watched over him
Though forbidden to touch
or go near–Sissie cared for him
in her own little girl way
singing all the songs she knew
dropping blades of grass for food
and always–stopping to look over his rigid body.

Sissie showed "Hairball" to Brother
who at first was repulsed by the dead rat
then drawn in by the small body
so all alone on the cold pavement
Brother adopted "Hairball"
and gave him a home
in his broken heart.

When Brother felt alone or scared
"Hairball" would come to life,
running on a wheel inside his little boy mind
Faster and faster "Hairball" ran
as the little boy
screamed, raged and threw his fists
against all the hurt he felt
until exhausted the little boy curled into a ball
small fists clenched at his chest,
he would open his eyes
and through the tears, would see Sissie
standing over him, offering a smushed cracker.

"Hairball" is an unlikely pet for an ordinary child
But for two homeless children,
the dead rat with the tiny pink feet
and the gray matted fur
became what they could love.

Lynn Mari, "Hairball" ©2006