In the general discussion forum there was a thread about cats. One of the replies (mine) concerned how cats will "talk" out the window at birds squirrels, rabbits, anything that's out there. Cat people know exactly what they're saying. It's something like: Yeah, sure, fly around,land on the window sill. If this window were open, man I'd be OUT THERE man, just kickin' your FEATHERY ASS man. Are you laughin' at ME?
Anyway, here it is.

I'm building a bird house out in the garage.
nothing fancy or fine
left-over scraps
too good to throw away

No power, no phone, no haste allowed out here.
Average hands, simple tools, glue
It will be white with a red roof
Those are the colors I found on the shelf

It will only be big enough for a small bird or two.
Just a short perch under a hole too small for my thumb
finches maybe, or sparrows
The big guys can fend for themselves

I'll hang it in the maple
just outside the kitchen window
The cats will spend their days
making idle, impotent threats

The late afternoon is getting cool.
I'm losing the last of this golden light.
This wood, this day, was too good to waste.
I did something for the birds, the cats, and me.

Geez this is good! I am so much reminded of Robert Frost and all his simple-complexity! My favorite line is, " This wood, this day, was too good to waste." Ever notice the clicking sound the cats make at the birds through the glass...almost like a lion's roar cut down for the suburbs... Very nice piece!

Yeah, it's sort of a "clkkkk ccackk kkaacckk" and I'm sure it means something like Emilys' poem "I Hope I can eat that thing with Feathers!"

Jack, Really liked the poem. Having had 2 cats I know about their talking first hand. jhs

Jack, thankyou for this. You have a fine poetic voice here, post some more please.

I particularly liked that cats were involved: I promise not toretaliate with cat poems. I'll save that for the General Discussion forum.

Don't change this one, it's fine, but for the next poem think about what I say on bobo's poem about the important words - first, last, line-ends. You would get more punch in.

One of my cats is Teddy, very large British Blue. He delights in clkkkk ccackk kkaacckk. Sparrows in particular excite his vocabulary. The other day, into the midst of the sparrows being thus addressed landed an enormous seagull. Which, being also thus addressed, responded in kind, only louder.

Ever seen cat spraint?



Stephen

We have a bird feeder about a foot away from their favorite window. they watch (and talk) all day. Sometimes I think the birds don't see them. Other times I'm sure they do, but they ACT oblivious! I'm sure of this when they land on the window sill and preen. The cats jump up and down, run in circles, everything by go through the glass.


Thank you for your comments.
I appreciate your advice Stephen. I do know exactly what you mean. This may sound unusual, but If anything I was trying to punch it down, rather than punch it up. I was affraid it would come off like a coffee commercial.

Yes, when they land on the window sill there is occasionally some spraint. Since they are on a good, solid diet, this is not much of a problem.


Oh, by the way, over here garage rhymes with barrage, not carriage. Not that rhyming was important in this case.

Jack, I liked this very much. I thought maybe your first poem would be about bears, but birds are nice. JP

Thank you all

As you all know I am dog person, but I did have one cat, who chose me for some weird reason that I have never been able to make sense of.

He was a stray, and used to sit silently on the OTHER side of my window staring at me with arctic blue eyes, eventually guilting me into bringing him inside.

Scruffy was a hunter, not one of these pampered all talk no action types.
He used to leap out backwards to grasp an eve, to get a bird that was too dumb to know what it was up against. He used to move so fast when he leapt that he became a six foot long white blur.

I kind of dislike cats on a general basis; they are parasites generally (except for mousers), but there was no question that I loved that fur ball.
It was one of the hardest decisions that I ever made having him put down at 12 or so, for financial reasons.
Something I have vowed never to do again; I just can't bear that kind of guilt.

All animals deserve our dutiful care taking, but most especially those that trust us; cats, dogs and even snakes! Ah, my snake, now there was a low maintenance pet!

See Skye, I can be cool, even without a tattoo; does having a snake make me tough :-P

Jack, I liked it; be careful, or you will become a poet!

Brucefur

PS: This is in part in tribute to Stephen and therefore in the wrong place.

Bruce-


No danger of that poet-thing ever taking hold of me. I would be forced to submit my work to your carefully tuned eye, and that... that... well, that's just WRONG!

bump

I don't spose any of YOU folks have copies of "101 Uses for a Dead Cat"
We keep a few barn cats,, they keep the rattlers away. By killing the mice that attracts the snakes to begin with. ergo my wife likes the cats. Other than that and tennis rackets.. wonder why God bothered.
Did like the poem however.



Terry

Terry-

We had a 24 pounder named Fred who INSISTED he was an outdoor cat. He was mistaken and became coyote food.



Jack

I just loved this poem. It gave me laughter and brought back many memories of my cats perched on the window sill for hours on end "talking" and I suppose dreaming of their next feast. Thank you for sharing.

Kim

Actually Terry--I had (I repeat) had that book "101 Uses for a Dead Cat"
that a friend gave me--thought she was funny---I gave it to Goodwill...as I can't throw away a book....

being the cat lover that I am--I did not want to frighten my poor darlings with such a scary tale!

Ell

Sorry, another self-aggrandizing bump.

I really like the at-home confortable detail you put into your poems. It makes them share a familiar feeling with your reader.

Peter

Whatever happened to Bobo, haven't heard from her lately? Nor, Ragamuffin, some fine people have crossed the path of this mule. Thanks for remembering, Jack.

Les