Domestication

Domestication is a lie we told you
as we sat in your lap
waiting
for what we knew to be our due.
We watch as you wait for a sign of our affection.
We watch as you talk to us
in the tone usually reserved for
the very young
as if you could will us to respond
the way a child does.
If we purr in contentment
it is not because we think
ourselves yours
but because your lap is warmer
than the ground.