From Cat World by Margaret Jeune

A Persian's Tale

A Persian cat hopped on my car today
And told me the tale of a flood
She had got wet paws she told me
And what was I going to do about it?
With a sniff she hopped off my car
And paddled home
Nose in the air
She would have liked a lift I think
To somewhere dry and pleasant
To distant shores
Away from the waterlogged Kapiti Coast.

For Gus

It’s Valentine’s Day
And I’m at the SPCA
Consoling a rejected cat
Returned after eight months in a new home
Because he wasn’t smoochy enough
As he rubbed up against the bars
Wanting a pat
I wondered about his owner
And his/her expectations
Here Gus is back on the shelf
On Valentine’s Day
Very sad and off his food
Is there an owner out there
Who won’t count smooches
And who might give a few him/herself
And make a heartbroken Tomcat happy?

Poems © Margaret Jeune 2021