To my five cat friends
Tarbaby
You are my first and forever cat friend
I found you hungry and struggling in the back alley
You had already lived a long life
Your matted long black hair and piercing yellow eyes stole my heart
And your fond affection sealed the deal
When I called for you from out the back door at suppertime
You came bounding up the back walk
Heading straight for your bowl
And when I went to school after lunch that warm June day
I gave you a gentle petting thinking you were asleep on the back step
And when I got home from school
Mom told me of your death
And my heart broke and I cried
I buried you under the north side of the honeysuckle tree
And in the spring I would smell their sweet blooms
And kneel on your grave fondly
Thank you my sweet, sweet Tarbaby
A child of six gave you a racist name
He did not know
I miss you still as much
Bonnie & Clyde
You came to me at age 13 when I was struggling
I wished to die then
A bullied gay teen in rural Alberta might be expected to feel that way
Two fuzzy black kittens quickly grew
into sleek black panthers
golden yellow eyes
The entire family loved you and enjoyed your affections
And when brother and sister produced four fuzzy kittens
A trip to the Vet put an end to that
One high school night I looked into your eyes Clyde
My brain buzzing from LSD
You looked deep into my eyes and I felt
Your thoughts
I was entranced by your gaze
Smith & Jones
Smitty and Jonesy came to me while I was working as a janitor at a drag club
I did shows a few nights a week and was a party girl
As Seal Point Siamese cats they were stunningly beautiful with piercing blue eyes
When they first arrived I would lay on the bed with the tiny kittens
And eat the same food from the same plate
They were like night and day
Jonesy disliked people and would run out of the room when you walked in
Smitty just loved people and loved parties
So he could rub his body along everyone’s legs
And purr loudly with satisfaction
They were let out each morning and came home after a bit
But one day Jonesy did not return
Smitty moved with me to the country
And when I had to leave the country I left him there
I could not fend for me and a cat in the city
I gave Smitty to the local Vet’s wife and she found him a home
A few years later I learned he was shot in the hind quarter by a BB gun in a neighbors yard
My Five Cat Friends
You changed me
Made my life rich with depth and breadth
Were some of the most beautiful creatures I have known
Each a distinct personality
My memories of you drift
in and out of my dreams