Walking along streets, away from corners,
Reaching the parts of streets between avenue and avenue, Passing little flights of stone stairs that lead up to
      the doors of houses,
Passing loiterers, fire hydrants, parked cars, trash cans,
      lamp posts, gateways,
I see, here and there, among all these,
Curled in corners,
Sprawled along cool walls,
The most peaceful little loiterers, the cats.

At night, lying in my bed along the wall,
Occasionally seeing a square of light appear on the ceiling      and fade away
As a car passes by outside,
I hear the males sound their meowls plaintively.

Speeding through the outskirts of a town
On a railroad train,
In littered back yards and in alleys I see
An occasional cat scampering
Or sitting and licking himself.