Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Cats

Cat poster 1.jpg
Types of domestic cat


"A black cat crossing your path signifies that  
the animal is going somewhere."


Catskill Cats--near my hometown in Upstate New York



Midweek Motif ~ Cats


I live with two beautiful black cats that were "rescue" cats--unwanted.  I adopted them this year when they turned 5 years old.

According to Wikipedia: 
"Mixed or Black cats have been found to have lower odds of adoption in American shelters compared to other colors except brown, although black animals in general take more time to find homes. . . . August 17 is Black Cat Appreciation Day."
I concede that cats of any color might be as sweet and mythic as my black ones, and so offer this motif for cats no matter their color.



Your Challenge: Have fun with cats in your new poem. Post your link below so we can visit.









by Pablo Neruda

How neatly a cat sleeps,
sleeps with its paws and its posture,
sleeps with its wicked claws,
and with its unfeeling blood,
sleeps with all the rings-
a series of burnt circles-
which have formed the odd geology
of its sand-colored tail.
I should like to sleep like a cat,
with all the fur of time,
with a tongue rough as flint,
with the dry sex of fire;
and after speaking to no one,
stretch myself over the world,
over roofs and landscapes,
with a passionate desire
to hunt the rats in my dreams.
I have seen how the cat asleep
would undulate, how the night
flowed through it like dark water;
and at times, it was going to fall
or possibly plunge into
the bare deserted snowdrifts.
Sometimes it grew so much in sleep
like a tiger's great-grandfather,
and would leap in the darkness over
rooftops, clouds and volcanoes.
Sleep, sleep cat of the night,
with episcopal ceremony
and your stone-carved moustache.
Take care of all our dreams;
control the obscurity
of our slumbering prowess
with your relentless heart
and the great ruff of your tail.

(Translated by Alastair Reid)


by Jorge Luis Borges

Mirrors are not more silent
nor the creeping dawn more secretive;
in the moonlight, you are that panther
we catch sight of from afar.

By the inexplicable workings of a divine law,
we look for you in vain;

More remote, even, than the Ganges or the setting sun,
yours is the solitude, yours the secret.

Your haunch allows the lingering
caress of my hand.

You have accepted,
since that long forgotten past,
the love of the distrustful hand.

You belong to another time.

You are lord
of a place bounded like a dream.



by Emily Dickinson (about 1862)

She sights a Bird - she chuckles -
She flattens - then she crawls -
She runs without the look of feet -
Her eyes increase to Balls -
Her Jaws stir - twitching - hungry -
Her Teeth can hardly stand -
She leaps, but Robin leaped the first -
Ah, Pussy, of the Sand,
The Hopes so juicy ripening -
You almost bathed your Tongue -
When Bliss disclosed a hundred Toes -
And fled with every one 




Please share your new poem using Mr. Linky below and visit others in the spirit of the community.



(Next week Sumana's Midweek Motif will be ~ Blessings)


28 comments:

  1. Thank you for the feline fun - I am not sure how catty we are but Alice certainly enjoyed herself :)

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    Replies
    1. Oh, is Alice pretending to be the Cheshire Cat again?

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    2. Cat-like, maybe, but never catty! Good to see you, Jae Rose.

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    3. I think she has ideas above her station Magical..either that or she's ingested something a little psychedelic (a-hem) - and thank you Susan..glad we are not catty ;)

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    4. Oh, dear! Such ingestions might lead to indigestion--or worse.

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  2. Good Morning!!!! Midweek is a good day to be alive!

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  3. Thanks for the prompt, Susan. I have a Cat for All Seasons for you! :-)

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  4. Did someone say fur-line fun; indeed! Susan though not a cat person I said to myself aw I'll give it a shot

    Happy Wednesday everyone

    Much love...

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    Replies
    1. You could have fooled me, Gillena. Good to see you.

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  5. Good morning, kids. Fun to find some levity in this prompt. Life is way too serious these days!

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  6. Your prompt brought back memories. Thanks for it Susan. Have a great day!

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  7. They do inspire those cats...
    Sorry folks that I have been absent - finishing a year-long remodel this week. Wish I could curl up like a cat and do nothing.

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    Replies
    1. Are you saying they do nothing? Napping is important work! Good to see you here.

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  8. I have been ignoring my writing because I've had visitors from out of town and a lot has been happening lately offline. I have kept up with reading the best I can. Things are finally letting up now.

    Speaking of cats my new kitten is doing very well and is usually on my lap (like right now) as I try to write. She's black and beautiful, a very sweet kitten so far.

    I have written a few poems about cats but decided to write about my favorite cat, one who is very famous already. Hope you like it.

    Have a great week! Hugs!
    Bekkie

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    Replies
    1. Good to see you. I'm mighty fine of the Cheshire cat myself.

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    2. So nice that you have a new kitty, kiddo....and a baby one at that. Lovely!

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  9. What purrr fect fun. I just looked at the video 'Cats' you better come home

    Much love...

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  10. Oh, I did enjoy that song and the poems! I certainly have plenty of material on the subject, but it may be the weekend before I can make time to write a new poem; things are pretty busy around here just now. I know I'm going to enjoy all the reading when I get to it!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for visiting, Rosemary! I always enjoy your poems, and you certainly need no prompt to write a black ccat poem. See you when I see you. No worries.

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    2. But the prompt did (finally) inspire the black cat poem I like best so far! :)

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  11. Running a bit behind for the Motif this week. Great theme, Susan!! Looking forward to seeing what others have shared.

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    Replies
    1. It's been a great week, Mary, though at first I thought it was a small turn-out. These poems are all keepers.

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