Today I am the king's cat
I walk in the hundred rooms of his castle
I sleep on the cushion of his throne
wearing a little watch of gold around my neck
I give off sparks, when his hand glides over my fur
I purr in the warmth of the canopy bed my claws
caress his body
only there where it itches
only there
I extend them
roaring in the jungle of my heart
where tigers are tearing the habitat's trees
apart with their claws marking their territory
the dangerous limits of life.

Translated by Jayde Will