He wanders about
determined
to let the whole town know
he’s there
with his loud, mournful cry
both in the dark
and in the daylight
sounding like a wind-up siren
winding down –
low
and slow –
amplified by narrow lanes
and tall, stone walls.
A sorrowful aria
of life on the streets
in this southern village
where the streets
are a cat’s life.
The white of his orange and white fur
is grey
and his face shows scars
from fighting for his place
and food the townfolk leave
in front of markets and homes
on rooftops and walls.
Earning such keep
keeping rodents at bay
among the many ruins.
Among the decay.
Belonging to none
except the pitch black feline
he’s permitted to mount
and nap near
neath parked cars in the piazza.
When I hear his cry
I sigh
and want to take him in.
But his feral ways
would not find their place
indoors
or in my arms
from which he bolts
when we meet on the roof
and in the streets.
But now and then
when our eyes meet
he lingers
and calls out
to let me know
he sees me as well.
Author: Anne Celano Frohna
I have been writing for as long as I could hold a pencil in hand and would not feel complete without it.
And I actually made a meager living at it (and as an editor) for 25 years.
I worked for newspapers and magazines, in graphic arts and advertising, and wrote several local history books.
But I have also taught English in Japan, been a Nanny/family chef in Italy, worked in and for museums, was an Airbnb Superhost for four years, as well as an Etsy shop owner, where I sold vintage items I found over the years at thrift stores and yard sales.
After moving to Arizona with my family in 2010, I completed a series of different writing projects, including two books of creative non-fiction:
Just West of the Midwest: a comedy (Based on journals I kept during my two years as an English teacher in rural Japan.)
Within Close Range: short stories of an American Childhood (Short stories and poems about growing up as the middle of five children in suburban Chicago.)
But in the past few years, I have found my voice in poetry.
I am a mother of two wonderful girls, Eva (26) and Sophia (24) and wife to one wonderful husband, Kurt.
In 2023, with our girls grown and off on their own, my husband and I packed up our things and moved to the tip of Italy’s heel, to the Salento region, where I continue to work on my poetry, as well as a new fiction project, and indulge in my passion for mosaics - all of which you can view on my Instagram page @ acfrohna.
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Dog-eared Stories by anne celano frohna 