(i)
Bloom-eyed, softly
slithers, snake-tailed,
seeking sustenance
of cream and
a song-bird’s heart.
(ii)
Purring with retracted claws
we offer her
affection, love
when all she craves is nosh.
(iii)
Sleeping,
but for a house-mouse
stirring, she
will bounce to murder,
and proudly its corpse presented.
(iv)
Not even
the bloodstained
persian rug
can afterwards annihilate
affection.
(v)
My lap her cushion,
in her tide-pool eyes
I see
my own reflection.
Today Melissa hosts dVerse poetics where she presents us with the art by Louis Wain (1860-1939) well known for his art of anthropomorphised cats. Melissa has given us a choice and I could not avoid to use the Untitled picture of the flowery cat. We can write whatever we want to the pictures as long as we avoid the use of the word cat.
April 23, 2024
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Bjorn, you’ve characterized the cat so well, and your imagery is peerless. So funny, Melissa, you, and I all wrote to the same image, but with very different takes on it.
I grew up with a cat, so I know the way they act…
This had me going awww…
We do love our little killers.
Indeed.
I love this. I agree with Li that you’ve characterized the cat perfectly. I especially like “Bloom-eyed” and “snake-tailed” and the fifth stanza is incredibly sweet.
I remember a lot from child-hood when we had cats… they are interesting animals.
I enjoyed how the poem got to the truth: we imagine love returned when it’s really all about food. 😊
I think food has a lot to do with it, that’s why I never feed a neighbor’s cat.
Nice on Björn
much♡love
Thank you.
Felines are purr-fect hunters after all…and leave blood on the “Persian” rug 😉
Indeed they are
I cringed each and every time the cats we have housed over the years dragged their “gifts” to our front door. Which meant I usually had to do the disposal thing. Love your poem, the last stanza is perfection.
Understanding your cat is a journey that exposes some of our own darker sides.
Awwww, you are obviously a cat lover, Bjorn! You truly understand them!
I do love them, but that means that we also have accept something less lovely in ourselves.
Very nice, Bjorn.
Thank you
You are welcome.
A lovely and loving ode to the cat. 🥰
Thank u 😸😸😸😸
A deep description meant for both feline and human predators. Well done!
Yes… we do see our own predator in them.
Well conveyed.
They are such sassy creatures!
Their eyes have your reflection.
They are indeed sassy.
loved “bloom eyed” and that last stanza is so beautiful!!
Thank you… they have that way of looking at you.
They are little tigers but we love them!
🐯🐯🐯 indeed
LOVE 4!!!! And be still my heart….that image of
“seeking sustenance
of cream and
a song-bird’s heart.”
This really is dark. Predators are a known hazzard in the U.S. Haven’t read many poems about them. Given, this is nicely written with details.
..
You sum up the problem with cats perfectly. They endear themselves so well, but are nothing more than self-interested and ruthless murderers.
The use of nosh made me smile, but I so loved ‘tide pool eyes’ that’s how our cat was.
Indeed… those eyes are both scary and beautiful