i love him the most in the gentleness of sleep,
he is at his softest then
eyes closing to the sounds of the world,
nose buried against my leg
claws retracted,
mouth soft and yielding
no twitch of the ear,
nor flicker of the eye,
vulnerability earned and cherished,
a kiss and gentle pet accepted,
i adore you most in the quiet of the night,
sparkling eyes slip shut,
soft belly bared to the world
breaths even and unmeasured,
curled up, awaiting
indefinitely, unknown