Two proven wellsprings of my work—spousal arguments and encounters with animals—find expression in this piece. The heat of the day in Phnom Penh, along with a peculiar feeling of emptiness evoked by wandering the temple grounds, scrambled our bearings. We happened upon the cat just in time. There is no question that he rescued us. 

John Willson is a recipient of the Pushcart Prize and awards from the Academy of American Poets and the Artist Trust of Washington. His first full-length collection, Call This Room a Station, was published by MoonPath Press in 2020. John lives on an island in Puget Sound, Washington.