When William Blake wrote: Tiger, tiger burning bright/In the forests of the night, ” and Andrew Lloyd Weber set TS Eliot to music (“Memory/all alone in the moonlight”), they had my family in mind.
Carl Sandburg, who knew his way around a metaphor, crossed out “fog creeps in on huge dog paws, slobbering, ” the moment my great grandmother leapt on to his lap.
If genius is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration, well, we cats don't sweat; it's not in our physiology. We're on the sweet side of the equation.
We're the meows. I mean mews. No, I mean muse. (Sorry, I had my tongue). Not to brag, but we’ve given rise to many a famous line in literature. We cats are "cool," "fat," and "fraidy."
We drag things in. When we’re away, the mouse will play.
When a room is small, you can’t swing us. (Though you absolutely shouldn’t do that in any case. We also don’t appreciate a hot tin roof or curiosity.)
In short, we’re our own pajamas.
I’m at the Pasadena Humane Society. Come on by, let’s get a good look at each other. Watch me play. Chances are, you’ll want to feed the kitty.
Are cats or dogs the more poetic animal?
Tell us in the comments.
Ron Rosen
6:09 am on Thursday, January 20, 2011
When I was in Junior High we had to read our poems out loud. A boy named, let's just call him Fred, began to read, "Tiger, tiger, burning bright..." It was then that Mr. Rock asked us to turn to page 254 in the book. Fred just thought no one would ever look at page 254.
You're in the hat!
Ron Rosen
4:43 pm on Thursday, January 20, 2011
I suppose I should mention that these were supposed to be original poems.
Pasadena Adjacent
8:47 am on Thursday, January 20, 2011
I always connect cats with used bookstores. But cats are flexible. Mine is currently sitting on my computer mouse. Adopt a kitten, adopt a cat.
Jean Spitzer
1:48 pm on Thursday, January 20, 2011
That's a very cute kitty. And literate.
Natalie
7:02 pm on Thursday, January 20, 2011
You're tempting me! That kitten will make some family the most adorable pet. Love your writing, Karin.
Karin Bugge
9:10 pm on Thursday, January 20, 2011
Natalie, Oscar Wilde said, "The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it." But I'll bet you knew that. (and thank you.)
Lori A. Webster
10:53 pm on Thursday, January 20, 2011
Adorable! Yes, everyone should adopt a cat or kitten....
-k-
4:03 pm on Friday, January 21, 2011
To answer your question, I would say cats are more poetic. Dogs are more short-storyish. Or maybe they're more Vin Scully play-by-playish.
And, no, I don't know why I say this.
Kathy
10:00 am on Monday, January 24, 2011
Awwww!!! Reminds me of the kitty I had when I was a kid! A tiger just like this one...and I picked her because she was the one playing...