23. Cat

scratchy tongue licks, licks,
cleaning her cub's wild fur;
looks just like my cat

22. Mother Nature

the humming almost

suffocating; millions

of black cicadas

21. Vacation

standing in the rain,

wet uniform; vacation:

it is a mindset

20. Fortitude

a flimsy fortress,

only sheets and pillows, but

monsters lurk outside.