Early on a Saturday morning
before the bustle of the day,
strike a pose. Meow a friendly
yowl. When she cracks the door
to investigate, look your fluffiest
and just a tiny bit forlorn. Cross any
of your 18 toes. Make hypnotic
eye contact and hope she welcomes
you in. Pause to wipe your paws,
a well-mannered ruse you use
to stake your claim. If she offers
you a saucer of milk, never mind
your lactose intolerance. Impress her
with your lapping elegance. She will
learn with time. Keep your shedding
to a minimum.
So she puts you out? Don’t despair.
Return, repeat, and return again.
You have won her over when she
takes you for a drive to a place
of white coats. Remember, the pain
and humiliation will be a faint memory
when you lounge in a ray of sunlight,
nestle on a scruffy afghan, eat
2 squares a day and entertain
your human by romping
for catnip in a feather teaser
cast out then reeled in
on a fishing line.
Purr and Yowl. An Anthology of Poetry About Cats
Edited by David Horowitz
World Enough Writers, 2023
Elise Chadwick 