I live in a house with three possums
not the pink tailed, beady eyed kind
the pretending to sleep while the dog barks in the early morning kind
there is a cat in the house too
she might as well be part possum
since she’s tucked in too
cozied up to those other possums
burrowed under soft covers
in rooms dark
for the sun has yet to rise
while the early dog and I got outside to take care of business
and he woofs the house down
so excited for his breakfast
and sits at the bottom of the stairs
waitin’ for the rest of the family
to stop playin’ possum
and wake up
to play with him
(the dog)