chicken tasty

four cats
pressed round the plate
floor has pulled them in

orange back first
a long hot bar of fur
shoulder blades moving
skin twitching where the smell lands

black cat crouched behind
thick as burnt velvet
nose wet
mouth slightly open
drawing chicken through the air

tabby in the middle
white chest clean
pink nose bright
eyes fixed on the dish
with that sharp little hunger
makes ancient

another dark shape at the rear
ears up
body still
waiting, careless drop
the loose string of meat
pale bit stuck to the rim

saucer
grease cloudy
fat beads gather
crumbs cling to the stars
soft chicken fibres
split and shine
where teeth have worried them apart

someone has licked
right through the gravy

left smear like finger paint

room smells of warm meat
cat breath
cupboard dust
old blanket
and the small wet clicking
of tongues on china

no one blinks

the orange one lowers her head
slow
certain
neck stretching
whiskers forward

then the plate gives up
its last tiny scrap

Every cat.