Excess by Laila Kayyali

Poetry editor Laila Kayyali shares a poem in which she responds to the poem "Glimpse" by Ada Limón.

Glimpse

In the bathroom our last

cat comes up to me and purrs

even without touch she purrs

and there are times I can

hold her when no one else

can hold her. She once

belonged to my husband’s

ex-girlfriend who is no longer

of the earth and what I’ve

never told him is that some

nights when I touch her

I wonder of the cat is feeling

my touch or just remembering

her last owner’s touch. She

is an ancient cat and prickly.

When we are alone I sing

full throated in the empty house

and she meows and mewls

like we’ve done this before

but we haven’t done this before.

— Ada Limón

Excess

In response to “Glimpse”

There is both a friendly and hostile aspect about the ability of things fitting, lopping off the excess; hence separate, sever, several. His ex-girlfriend, the cat, you. Today is every single yesterday. The cat must know this. She is relieved from the constraint of loving only a single person's touch. In absence, a low protective wall comes before the skin, around a healing wound. Near, nearer, nearest. Hope; hence readiness. Like buds in winter, warming their pinched faces in the sun. She is glad to be with you, and you her. You are glad to be together.

— Laila Kayyali