The Brown-and-White Tabby

I leave for school,
Strolling with my mother.
My tiny pink backpack is slung over my shoulder.
It is a crisp, autumn day.
All the leaves
Changing pigments.
My mother
Constantly reminding me to
Walk faster.
To keep up with her,
I drag my little feet along.
Into the dirt they go…
And there! As I round the next corner,
I hear a faint tinkling.
It’s not my imagination. I spin around
And lay my eyes on it!
Yes! It’s a brown-and-white tabby!
Mother scolds, “Mia, keep walking.
You get so distracted over little things in life.”
As our walk progresses,
I still hear the tinkling, sweet little bells ringing
from the kitty’s neck.
Every few seconds I turn my head around,
Checking to see if the tabby is still there,
And it is.
As I check back one last time, my mother says,
“Mia, we’re here at Linden. Hurry up,
Or you’ll be late!”
“Bye, kitty!
See you tomorrow!”