My Sister-in law’s Cat
by Helen Ohlson

I’m sleeping with my
sister-in-law’s cat
on the side of a mountain
deep in Georgia
while I wait for God
to make up his mind

Caught up in the still fog
hanging from bare branches
God’s thoughts stir only briefly
when deer creep through on wet leaves
Rain pings on the shingles above me
a hundred fingers nervously tapping

as He ponders her fate,
the woman who once filled this cabin
with porcelain rabbits and her
iron will power
now too weak
to call out His name


In 2006, Helen Ohlson was chosen to attend a writers’ retreat with Delaware Poet Laureate, Fleda Brown. In 2008, Helen won the Second Place Poetry Award from the Delaware Press Association. She has published poetry in literary journals such as Prints and The Broadkill Review, and the print magazine Living Well. She is frequently requested to read her poetry at local venues and a founder of the Delaware Literary Connection, a service organization for writers.