You will all know that April is poetry month, so continuing on our feline theme this week, here are two poems about my fuzzy companions. They are like chalk and cheese and have a love/hate relationship with each other. I play the mediator. I also thought I would point you towards two poets’ sites that I follow, which you may enjoy checking out.
FUDGE
My furry friend, a ginger Tom,
Who comes to the name of Fudge,
That is, if tuna is in sight
If not he doesn’t budge.
Though feline on all documents,
He’s canine through and through.
He follows me around the house
And chewed up one whole shoe
He carries bones into the yard,
Waits for me by the door,
Then jumps on me as I come in
And rolls over on the floor.
Unlike other cats I know
His balance is not quite right.
He falls off beds and misses jumps
And bumps me in the night
Fudge is very sociable
He sticks to me like glue.
He purrs just from a friendly look.
I’m a sucker for him too.
His nicknames are innumerable:
Like Gingernut and Tigger,
Pudger the Fudger, Purr-pot,
Fudge Bar will raise a snigger.
MARMITE
Sleek and black,
An elegant cat.
Discreet, sly.
Independent not shy
Agile, refined.
Acute of mind.
Stealthily silent.
Not always compliant.
Hunter at night.
Birds best take flight
Sleeper by day,
out of the way.
In her own time,
Still, she is mine.
In my 20's, with only my guitar and a rucksack, I wandered the continents, immersing myself in the lives of some wonderful people, projects and stories, which changed the way I view my responsibility to others and this earth. Right now I'm a European transplant in the US who writes books for children and young adults. Stories can help us not only navigate our world but can connect us to others, and allow us to inspire and help each other. I believe that equity and empathy should be at the core of our all actions, words, and stories.
I am also a school librarian and I get a kick out of book-matchmaking! And I use the pronouns she/her.
awww so cute, and I am a sucker for Fudge to. I smiled to myself imagining him in mid flight missing his intended landing spot. Marmite reminds me of our first cat, Lucy, she was little miss independent and kept to herself. Love the poems Joanna, go you!
If I am awake I do get some warning that Fudge might be about to land on me, as his approach is never quiet and he has a habit of squeaking just before he pounces! Marmite is truly a refined, intelligent feline. Thanks, Diane.
What delightful poems! They bring out the different purrsonalities of Fudge and Marmite in such a clear and playful way. Have you thought of doing a book of animal poems? Or submitting these poems to a magazine such as Ladybug? I’ve just been reading back issues of Ladybug, and they showcase a great deal of poetry for young children.
Here’s a link to submission guidelines for the whole Cricket family of magazines, in case you’re interested:
http://www.cricketmag.com/6-Submission-Guidelines-for-kids-magazines-for-children-from-toddlers-to-teens
Beth, thank you. You it has very vaguely crossed my mind to do a book of animal poems. Thank you for the nudge and the great idea about submitting to a magazine again. I need these nudges! I shall check out your link right away.
Loved the post. I am not familiar with cats and their behavior, so I found your comments about Fudge and Marmite fun. The poems were lovely, and I can see why you follow these poets site. I am a dog person. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Pat, I am a dog lover too. i would have a dog if I didn’t have several days a week when I am absent from the apartment for 13+ hours. At least my cats don’t get into too much mischief when I am not there. Then there is always the fact that Fudgy thinks he’s a dog!
Such beautiful cats! And the poems, I love! =) I enjoyed this post. =)
Thanks, Myra 🙂