Again the cat has captured me
with his soft eyes
his steady gaze
lying beside me on the couch
taking me in
with all six of his senses
as otherwise
only my wife can do
one paw stretched out
claws gentle on my thigh
purring away
his head nuzzling the hand
that I've proferred
to scratch his ears
his eyes half closed
he pushes back
with such a sensuous delight
it's hard to know
how deep his meditation goes
as for the question
about dogs and buddha nature
it's neither here nor there
as Zhao Zhou's answer shows
but to my mind
this kitty's well along
the path to cat nirvana
both a loving friend
a teacher and a comfort
to my soul