The Carnal Smell

The carnal smell of warming leather
saying come to me, sink into me
take a load off, kickback
recline away from worries of the day.
I watch the log, harvested from Safeway,
starting to burn and turn into
tigeryellow claws reaching for the chimney
warming, nice kitty, saying come to me.

I go to her and reach out to her
and caress her playful silkiness.

She spits and my hand, rejected,
returns blistered, black and burned.  
The carnal smell.

And I think of vicissitudes.