A Cat's Guide to Motherhood

[busker]

I was reading Charles Bukowski's collection called "On Cats" and it inspired me to write a poem about an experience I had with one of my cats a few years ago. 

Feel free to give me critique and advice. Thanks for reading.


It was a Tuesday;
husband planted behind a glowing screen, … confused me at first. I thought the husband was planting in the garden, behind a screen. I don’t think it’s that - it’s a TV or computer or mobile screen - should it be planted behind or in front of? Otherwise, the opening is fine 

me, drowning in anxiety
with irritation
from my child’s blunders
pressing down upon my weary shoulders. … too many words 

I knelt to the guilty,
settled on the pillowed couch.
Face close, fingers up,
shouts of discipline,
rash and rough. … I had to read a few times to figure out if this is your daughter or the cat. I think it’s the daughter, for the next strophe to work. But “pillowed couch” is too much cat. Also, your fingers or your daughter’s? It’s a fairly confused image for the reader.

It was then...
the wise one jumped.
Eye to eye she sat,
between me and our daughter, - maybe some other way to emphasise our instead of italicising the word? The italics point at, even shout out, the dry humour. Doesn’t land.
with a glare to cower the weak,
wielding the sharp sword of a mother.

With a solid pop of her paw
to my startled cheek, 
the very one her loving forehead bumps,
she reminded me–
her silly little human

to get it together. ….. nice ending 

I think it would be a nice little light little poem with fewer words.
“
Some suggestions above