How Clara Mourns

for David Bowie

Clara puts her head
between her paws,

“You never overlook
anyone, do you?

Doesn’t matter what
they do.

You’ll tear a man’s dress
to start the process

and then come back
years later just

to finish up. You
never overlook anyone,

do you? But I’m not mad
because I know

there will always be a few
who slip through

and live forever.

Nothing you can do
about that.”

Clara lifts her head
from her paws

and takes the cactus
by the window.

— January 11, 2016 (with lines from David Bowie’s ‘Eight Line Poem’)