Dedicated to a Dear Friend of Mine in England, who just lost her Precious Ricky,
One of The Great Cats
'Thou Art the Great Cat,
The Avenger of the Gods,
And the Judge of All Worlds,
The President of the Sovereign Chiefs,
And the Governor of the Holy Circle;
Thou Art, Indeed ... The Great Cat.’
Inscription On The Royal Tombs at Thebes
Dog is my Co-Pilot
Spouse, my Navigator
And Cat, The Great Cat,
Is my Very Sage Philosopher
The very first Great Cat to graciously arrive in my life
Magically materialized on my dog’s sad backyard grave
Although he was only a newborn kitten, he was very wise
This Orange Tabby showed me how to live again, unafraid
Next came the Snowy White Christmas Kitten
Who presented himself as a gift to my future wife
He quickly brought my spouse and myself together
We soon married, he taught us how to end our strife
Next came the Coal Black Southern Feline Infant
Who somehow found me, on a business trip one day
He quickly taught me how to live life far more serenely
He taught me how to always take some time out, to play
Next came the Tiny Flea-Bitten Grey-Striped Orphan
Who somehow managed to survive all alone underground
By helping her, she taught me much more about compassion
In our home, she was always a great reminder to have around
Next came the Very Thin Courageous Brown Spotted Mother
Who was raiding a garbage can, attempting to feed her babies
She soon taught me what true parental love was really all about
Loving and providing for her children, with no ifs, ands, or maybes
Next came The Elderly Black and White Cat Who Spoke To Me
Her lonely cries taught me to have far more respect for the elderly
She quickly became the Matriarch of our ever growing feline clan
All of us soon grew to love her grandmotherly spirit and generosity
Next came far too many Left Behind Felines of Hurricane Katrina
Their great suffering and pain, so powerfully reflected in their cat eyes
They quickly taught me that all forms of life on this earth, are precious
They soon reminded me that tears are good for the soul, and how I cried
Next came Our Tiny Tortoise Shell New Orleans Beauty
Who somehow called out to my very soul, that day I found her
She taught me that it’s possible to start over again, after tragedy
And she reminds me of that every day now, with her joyous purrs
And Finally, came Our Sickly Emaciated Grey-Striped Feral Feline
Who displays much gratitude every day now, just for having a home
This feline lives every day, with a debilitating illness that will kill him
But the courageous way he approaches life, could spark many a poem
Many of us have also now read about wise Oscar, the Nursing Home Cat
He compassionately teaches how to accept death, I’ve no doubt about that
And every day now,
When I very eagerly awaken at dawn,
I soon peer out my back window, and I soon wonder,
When the next Great Cat, will materialize on my lawn
© Mr Ed 2007
“If man could be crossed with cat,
It would improve the man,
But it would deteriorate the cat.”
Mark Twain
Be sure to check out Ed's websites.
http://edkostro.home.comcast.net/wsb/html/view.cgi-home.html-.html
"In the middle of a world that has always been a bit mad, the cat walks with confidence."
Roseanne Anderson