“Our Hawaiian Cat Space Pod”
Adele Gardner
“Spaced along the loft hall and open stairs, cat wardens watched with grave concern as I navigated, all sense of balance lost thanks to my sensorium enhancement. Tiny mews and cold noses nudged me away from open rails. My sensory array declared the drop to be 32’, but my wandering eye assessed the lower floor in such clarity that my brain registered those cloudy paw prints on the dark hardwood two stories below, as being right before my face.”
Q1: Describe your cozy place.
A1: One of my favorite cozy places is lounging in bed surrounded by my snuggling cats, often with a book, comic, music, or something to watch or write, but sometimes just petting them and listening to them purr. On a good day, this is simply one of my favorite ways to live, and such a gentle, calming experience. Even when anxiety is at its worst, the kitties know how to help.
Q2: Summarize your piece in a haiku.
A2:
cats do hard, good work
spacepods float through starry nights
lit, our lanterns rise
Q3: When the apocalypse hits, where do you imagine yourself being and why?
A3: My imagination transports me to a place that is safe enough for long enough to shelter with my loved ones, including all our cats. Ideally, there will be plenty of books, music, games, and films/shows on hand (as well as the supplies we need to stay alive); but either way, I know we’ll purr, tell each other jokes and stories, reminisce and play games to distract ourselves and remind one another of how much we care. So, yes, this would be my version of being cozy in the apocalypse: being together through the end, no matter how much time we have left.
Q4: What part about the apocalypse excites you the most?
A4: I still hope for a future of cooperation and compassion. I realize there’s so much more to it than that; and the harm humans do to one another, our fellow beings, and this planet is terrifying and heartbreaking. However, my dream is that as dangers grow, people will come together to find solutions—in time to save others, if not ourselves. While disaster can be accompanied by cruelty and injustice, there is also the possibility of kindness and helping one another, and I choose to believe in that.
Read Adele Gardner’s work in Cozy in the Apocalypse!
