A Young Boy Falls Asleep With His Cat
A Young Boy and his Cat …
A Young Boy Falls Asleep With His Cat
“He is quiet and small, he is black
from his ears to the top of his tail;
He can creep through the tiniest of crack.
He can pick any card from the pack;
He is equally cunning with dice;
He is always deceiving you into believing
That he’s only hunting for mice.”
T.S. Eliot “OLD POSSOM’S BOOK OF PRACTICAL CATS”
A Boy and His Cat
1.) Elias and Django
A space where frame was built to house a home
both doorway and an entrance to a room
on bed where one black cat begins to groom
this boy who dreams of play in ocean’s foam.
A long haired cat from Pheonicia
or maybe from the dark side of the Moon
where blanket folds become an ancient rune
with eyes closed purrs “A Night in Tunisia.”
Short scene inside photographic frame
of time a frozen moment of true love
when boy and cat are wrapped inside comfort.
In sleep the pair will play a dreamy game
to dance in blue of flowering foxglove
to fly together choosing clouds to sort.
2.) Sam and Bupkiss
A light colored pillow to contrast black
one for the boys head and one for the cat
their quiet place where both have cuddled chat
before creeping “through the tiniest of crack.”
My memory of when the child was small
and slept within a homemade wooden crib
on hand sewn quilt portraying sailors jibe
with redwood rails to secure two from fall.
The kitten curled up with you as you snore
as if the way you held your arms stayed true
through all these years of growing with the storm.
I stood there every night to take the score
from crib to twin as boy and cat still grew
when both your views of this world then transform.
3.) In Their Room
My boy will curl with favorite stuffed Tiger
within the covers of the blankets formed
his black kitten in close until he’s warmed
to sleep until the morning brings hunger.
In this colorful mish mash of childhood
he finds himself lost within the color
of fur and quiet lull of gentle purr
he nods his head as if he understood.
From ears down to his blackened soot like fur
the cat remains to sleep as if a ball
to snuggle up into the boy’s sweet dreams.
Within these moments lies a simple cure
to bring his life back to a simpler call
of swimming in imaginations streams.
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Some great phrasing and stark imagery, filled with colour and texture. I so relate having a cat (Beast) who is my constant companion. A whimsical piece with a light feel and heart-warming in its expression. Great work, Jamie. Really enjoyed it.
Jamie I love these wonderful whimsical poems with a touch of dreamy fantasy about them. Great imagery and being a cat lover I can’t fault them.
Thank you Tony and John. Jamie