Graphic Narrative

Have You Patted a Bodega Cat Today?

“How to Placate the Gods of New York,” a graphic story by Matthew Kramer

Bodega Cat by Seth Werkheiser via Flickr

Have You Patted a Bodega Cat Today?

If you want the subway to arrive on time, drop a phone or an object of comparable monetary or emotional value onto the tracks.
Pat every bodega cat on the head & offer it lox from your pocket. This act ensures you never get food poisoning.
When you see a mattress on the side of the street, deliver a short eulogy. No bed bugs will come your way.
To stop a downpour, speak to yourself in a loud but nonchalant voice: "It's lucky that I have to work inside all day." Then leave home with an umbrella, galoshes, & rain jacket. Step in the first puddle you see.
Upon crossing a kit of pigeons, bow & lavish them with praise. "You are noble beasts to behold, & I admire your radiant plumage!" This will prevent soiling of your head & clothes.
& If you need to find a new apartment, approach a drain pipe of a building & whisper that you have been thinking of moving to Boston.

About The Commuter

The Commuter, arriving every Monday morning, is our home for flash fiction, graphic narrative, and poetry. Sign up  for The Commuter newsletter to get every issue straight to your inbox, or join our membership program for access to year-round submissions. EL’s lit mags are supported by the Amazon Literary Partnership, the New York State Council on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Read Next
Switch On Symbol

“Besharam” is a Survival Guide for Shameless Brown Girls

Priya-Alika Elias wants to start a rebellion against the ideal of a "good" Indian woman

Apr 1 - Richa Kaul Padte Read
Switch On Symbol

More Like This

 conversations

There Were Women on Noah’s Ark

Sarah Blake's "Naamah" imagines the story from the perspective of Noah's wife

Apr 10 - Brian Gresko
"A Full-Service Shelter" by Amy Hempel, Recommended by Rick Moody_Recommended Reading
 Recommended Reading

Rick Moody Recommends “A Full-Service Shelter” by Amy Hempel

A story about how to love dogs that are going to die

Apr 3 - Amy Hempel
tiger fighter hard to find_ha jin_oxford american_RR
 Recommended Reading

“A Tiger Fighter Is Hard To Find” by Ha Jin

Oxford American recommends a short story about why tigers are not easy co-stars

Feb 20 - Ha Jin