“You are old, Mr Cattypuss,” the young kit said,
“And your coat has become quite a mess;
And yet you insist on continuing to groom—
Do your hairballs not cause you distress?”
“In my youth,” Mr Cat Senior meowed to his son,
“I feared they might cause me some trouble;
But now that the humans give sweet malty treats,
Why, it’s easier than blowing a bubble.”
“You are old,” said the kitten, “As I mentioned before,
And have grown most uncommonly fat;
Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door—
And I thought you a dignified cat!”
“In my youth,” said the old one, as he licked his white socks,
“I used to climb curtains and trees.
Now I’m older I pull off the rarest of tricks—
But slowly, so I don’t hurt my knees.”
“You are old,” said the youth, “And your jaws are too weak
For anything tougher than jelly;
Yet you finished your dry food – and some of my treats! –
And then curled up for a nap round your belly!”
“Our humans,” said old mog, with a flick of his tail,
Make sure all of my food is nutritious,
And just right for the needs of an old cat like me,
Low in fat, lots of fibre, delicious!”
“You are old,” said the kit, with a withering glance
“And you constantly snooze in my spot,
On the windowsill, armchairs, and maybe by chance—
On the clean clothes the owners just got.”
“I have answered three questions, and that is enough,”
Said the old cat; “now stop being a pain!
Be off and play nice with your mice, toys and stuff.
Or I’ll hijack the cat tree again!”
*Adapted from the original poem, “You Are Old, Father William”, by Lewis Carroll, to celebrate National Poetry Day.
Do you write ditties for your kitties? Send us your cat (or dog) poetry using the comments below and we might publish them on our blog!
Image credit: Creative Commons via Flickr
Ode to my Angel-boy
I didn’t fall in love with you
But you walked into my life
So teensy, you nestled in my arms
We played, just you & I, hours on end,
majestic kitty condos & clever toys,
discarded carrons & leftover wools,
fed at clockwork precision,
went for walks on leash
at Changi beach.
Tire you out in blissful slumber.
…those were the days.
Had much work so much time apart.
I found for you a companion true.
Your memorable years were spent wiz her in warm hugs & in sweet slumber.
Proud like a lion, you rule the roost.
Bullying other pets at the prime of your youth. Calling your own shots but always keeping me company whenever I fell ill.
When Stacey of cancer died,you lost your faithful defender. Howling & searching for days on end trying to fathom the meaning of death
No more pleasure now in food & rest.
Sad & lonely you grew old fast.
Day is night and night is day
now in the throes of dementia.
Meaningless & aimless
your world begins to crumble
My work & pursuits i put asunder
To spend some time wiz you
my guilt to assuage
Starting to tear
as I lay quietly beside
watching your sad eyes
in the silence,
proud & dignified as you look away
I continue to stare
admiringly
at my still handsome boy
..I love you so
Don’t leave me, my boy i cried
even as both our bones start to creak
as you groan each time i carry you
just don’t go
my special angel, as
..I love you so