‘The myth that human beings are superior to non-human animals is the most important lesson that I ever unlearned.’
When living in the FL Keys, five feral neighborhood kitties decided to move in with us. My Luna, and her daughter, Kabu - both jet black panthers - were acrobats, able to hop straight up on any tall bookshelf or Tiki Hut roof. The runt of the litter, my tiny tuxedo cat, Tornado was a master of jumping high in the air, turn around while airborne and land, facing the other way! 😸 #CatsRule
I can't agree more 💯🐾💙 Furbababies a word I coined on Internet in 1998 hold much of the Natural Wisdom of the World 🌎.💙💙🐾 I'm unhappy talking to most humans 😔 8years of foolish hate.
Due to the modern day mangling of his poetry, I should imagine Reid is turning in his grave. It doesn't sit with me either. Interesting food for thought on this downright chilly Sunday. Cheers Greg.
I definitely like the original version of this magnificent poem. I’ve been thinking a lot about “truth” over the last few weeks. In my morning meditations I have been asking for “Illuminated Truth” to take over our reality for many years. Every once in a while I’ll hear a whisper “you also need to be ready for the truth that will come to your doorstep”. My pleas for truth were initially motivated by the Disinformation campaign perpetrated in the USA. Without much consideration of “What is true for thee, is true for me.” Well, “Truth” came knocking on the window to my soul over the holidays and the result is absolutely paradigm changing, life changing and something I never thought would happen. I’m not ready to talk about the details yet but it has rocked my family with reverberations that will continue for many years into the future. I listened to your podcast with Aja Raden yesterday - excellent discussion! So many layers of truth and lies wrapped up in a little shiny stone. One thing that struck me was the comment by the man who had knowledge of the truth about the diamond industry. He said he saw too much and didn’t want to know any more than he already knew. He looked into the abyss and knew there was no bottom. Ignorance is bliss - I say that not as a judgment. Sometimes the truth is too much. I can apply this to the MAGA crowd. Especially when we consider how long they have been steeped in the disinformation. It takes a lot of strength to live in the truth. It also takes a lot of strength to be curious and flexible in your thinking. It takes a lot of strength to live.
I hope that the paradigm shift and the life change is positive, or, if not positive, at least something that brings wisdom. It does indeed take a lot of strength to live, especially in the winter, when it's so cold.
Milton:
Sleep on, Blest pair; and O! yet happiest, if ye seek No happier state, and know to know no more.
It will provide a lot of wisdom in the long run and is something that needs to be addressed and normalized in society. Winter, especially this winter (-1 degree right now), adds to the challenge. Can't wait until I can see the grass again! I'm glad your homecoming was so good.
One question. If the Iams are so easy to spot, then WHY do pet owners always step on them in the dark kitchen at 2:00 am, like tiny Legos that have fallen out of the pet bowl?
The pellets. Did you know "kibble" is an ancient word derived from "Kitchen Bullshit?" True story. "What is this bullshit I am stepping on in my kitchen in the middle of the night?" Ha.
Perfectly poignant Gail, it doesn’t take a a lifetime to find truth, a curious mind, however reckless the journey, and more importantly the desire to seek.
I certainly hope things in your corner of the continuum are well!
I enjoyed this very much. I had never read the poem before. Cats are the only thing on my mind right now as we try to weatherproof the shelter for our two half-feral cats. Cold cold weather coming even down here in Mississippi. Warm wishes to all creatures. Thanks again for all your work, Greg. Stay warm.
Almost 30 years ago I married a cat person. I travelled too much back then to have any animals but when I started my own business mostly working from home my husband decided I needed a cat to keep me company. And in walked Moody Blue, a blue abysinnian. I didn't care for him at first. He liked to leap on my head while I was at the computer working. He had Cirque du Soleil moves too!
When Moody was 14 he died of a rare dog and children leukemia. The day he died was one of the worst in my life and I haven't gotten another cat since. Although if a stray would decide to show up and adopt us, I would not be unhappy.
I understand. Our cat Bob died on January 25, 2005, of a similarly rare disease, when our son turned one month old. I was sad, but my poor wife was in torment, screaming into a pillow. It's just awful when they go.
The thing to do when cats die is to get another one immediately, before you think you're ready. At least, that is our experience. RIP Moody Blue!
Thoroughly enjoyed this Sunday's Prevail, Greg, but I leave the heavy of it to you and other readers!
My cat story involves my cat, Kim Chi's encounter with Rocky, my neighbor's happy-go-lucky dog during a babysitting event I'll never forget.
Taking a flying leap toward the bed, it was in mid-air that Rocky caught sight of the sprawling Kim Chi whose domain it was he was about to unceremoniously enter.
Previous encounters with Kim Chi had already alerted Rocky to who she was and where he would stand as an uninvited guest into her private chambers.
Eyes wide with fear, he quickly realized sheer will would not stop the law of gravity nor enable him to back-pedal his way to safety. So, he landed with a plop, seemingly prepared to take the consequences. I can't tell you how relieved I was to see her, without moving a muscle, order that he make a hasty retreat which she would reward by not bothering to give chase in return. The End!
'The iambs are easy to spot, as every word in the couplet has one syllable, just as cat, dog, life, and hell have one syllable. The new version ends like this: '
I loved the poem although at this moment in my life I’m a definite dog person and have been for years now. Cats rarely let you into their world and after my husband died I still needed to be needed. My little rescue allows me in. Like a cat though, I’ve always been curious about life, other places and other people so I’ve traveled to satisfy my curiosity. That’s why I made the decision last year to pull up stakes, sell most of the “things” that held me in my old life and moved to another country with my dog. I’m loving everything that’s new here. I have a reason to get up and make my bed every morning. Even though I may do absolutely nothing but eat my two meals a day and drink my water(it’s hot here)I find I’m very much at peace with my life. And it’s wonderful.
Thanks for sharing. I'm glad that you have found peace! I'm sure it took great courage to make that move, and I'm glad to hear it has worked out for you (and your dog).
I am a TOTAL dog person, although a lot of that could be because I've always been allergic to cats. It's the only allergy I haven't lost in my old age. I can still remember finding out I was allergic when I was about 12 and it's never left me -- hay fever, mold spores, and all that spring and fall irritants make no appearances now, but the cat allergy remains. I'm currently between pets with a new one surely arriving in the spring, and I've been toying with the idea of getting a cat, but that also involves researching whether there are drugs that can alleviate my allergies to them. THEN, I think, do I REALLY want to have to take drugs to have a pet? It's not exactly an existential crisis, but it IS something else to think about in the daily existential crisis that is life now.
It is likely I'll get another dog because in addition to the above, and that I like cats, and the idea of cats, I'm almost hardwired for dogs. That might be a good thing for the times we live in. A dog is almost invariably cheerful -- at least mine always was -- but cats can match your mood pretty easily, it seems. And who needs THAT kind of reinforcement in the age of fascism on the rise? Absolutely NO offense is meant to cat people, it's just my personal observations and how I think I would respond to a cat vs. a dog. I can say for sure that I don't miss having to walk a dog today -- it's currently -6, with a wind chill of -29, and sarcastically SUNNY! Today is most definitely a cat day.
Dogs. Colorado lets them go everywhere. Driving... to me, is pointing out dogs along the route. I threaten them thru the rolled up window with things like, "You are so cute I am going to squish your face. Squeezle your beezle. Huggle your buggle." Or, "I am going to pet your big, fat scruff, you beast." If a business has a regular dog, I try to return. And that is saying something. I loves me some dawg. My dog has been wicked lately because he don'ts like the snow and polar potties.
It's probably just your voice; deep, booming, authoritative. Dogs ALWAYS like women better than men. My 25-pound dog LOVED to go after the BIG dogs at the dog park and try to hump them; German Sheperds, Great Danes, a St. Bernard once, it didn't matter to him. There were a few times I found myself wading into a circle of dogs to get him because they'd get together and gang up on this little annoyance. I probably should have had more fear than I did, but I'd go in with a loud, high-pitched, "HEY! HEY! HEY!" and they'd part like the Red Sea.
Dogs have their poems, too. Try Ferlinghetti's "Dog." I'm not going to copy and paste it because Substack would go berserk over the line breaks. Take a look here:
I thought I was allergic for years, and then my allergies just went away. God knows why, but I'm glad. Maybe I built up a resistance? Who knows. You're right that cats can be assholes. And my god, this cold is awful, and it just started here yesterday...
Steve, I am a dog person too. I've always had dogs as part of my family. I wonder why the allergies disappeared? This is very intriguing because the older I get the more I seem to be affected by allergies. I use Flonase daily which keeps them under control but if I miss a day...
I don't know how the formulas are now but be careful! There was actually several months in college where I was addicted to nasal spray. It sounds as ridiculous as it was, and I don't even remember why I started using it -- hay fever, maybe? But after months, I realized I couldn't breathe through my nose without it, and I went COLD TURKEY! I think it took about 10 days to clear my system. Dumbest addiction ever!
Thanks, Steve. I do remember some of my friends in college being addicted to Afrin - maybe that stale dorm air?! I decided to google "nasal spray addiction" and if you ever have a whole lot of time on your hands, there are many rabbit holes to fall into on that subject! I have decided to stop the Flonase until allergy season. Thank you for the reality check (awareness!).
Afrin! That's what it was. I still remember the white bottle with the maroon printing on it -- late '70s. Nobody ever talks about the scourge of nasal spray addiction! 😂 Of course, it is low on the addiction damage scale.
Lovely poem. I used to teach Sound and Sense. It is full of good stuff.
When my old cat died, years ago, my mom gave me a little female kitten, which I named Caitlin, pronounced as the Irish do, Cat-LEAN. My then husband took her in to be spayed. I was in a meeting with the president and the CEO of my company when then receptionist tapped at the door. "I'm not supposed to interrupt but Susan, your husband called and said your girl is a boy." Stopped the meeting cold. Caitlin stayed she all her life. We embraced gender fluidity from the early days.
Another great cat poem comes from Old Celtic, found scribbled on the side of a manuscript. This is my version of it (done after my writing group decided to "translate" poems from languages we did not speak, simply comparing many versions and creating one that fit our own style best. ) My current cat is called Pangur, though since he's basic black it is really Pangur Dubh. Substack messes up formatting, btw.
Pangur Ban
White puss Pangur Ban and I, the solitary
Monk, are much alike. He crafts his hunt
As I do mine: I stalk the word and he
The mouse.
Apart and peaceful in our cell, we are
Content with our small lot and neither
Jealous of the other’s powers;
**
We pass the hours together. Often times he’ll tease
The wary vermin; I find, entangled in my claws,
A difficult thought, and coax the meaning out.
**
He eyes the mouse hole with bright, ominous stare;
I stare at the page with weak eyes fixed, keen to know what lies
behind the ink and vellum. We spring our nets.
**
Upon a pounce we both rejoice, each with our catch:
The mouse, the meaning pleases us to jubilation. We work together, yes,
And yet alone, and each respects the other’s skill,
**
The mastery of the thing that never-ending lures us on.
My brother gave my wife and I a cat for Xmas one year, 20 some odd years ago. We already had two cats in a small apartment, so we couldn't keep her. But my parents didn't have pets and my dad took care of her and fell in love with her. The first day, he became concerned because of the strange wheezing noise she was making. Maybe she was choking? He took her to the vet, who calmly explained that Mimi was purring...
I agree, the last line needs to be in iambic pentameter not only to make its rhythm flow but to add to the 'punch' that iambic creates with its repetitive 'soft-HARD, soft-HARD' march of the inevitable.
Raised as I was by a God-fearing, Bible-thumping mother, and serving for nine years as an Air Force officer, I learned how to follow the rules and walk the straight and narrow. Still, as I look back over my long life, I have managed to take a lot of risks, and I realize that my greatest growth and fondest memories came from times when I had broken the rules. Curiosity didn’t turn me into a world adventurer, but, given where I started—being taught that our reward is in Heaven after we die—curiosity did propel me into living a full life in the real world!
Earl but do you still like the history Bible stuff? I do. I appreciate the part of my childhood where I was learning some of that stuff, it is complicated. ANU Museum is having a live webinar about Codex Sassoon on the 17th. It is 1:00 pm EST on Jan 17th but you have to RSVP so I am unsure how open it is to everyone. I am def not spamming Greg's TL here but how cool just historically about the old document/relic itself. Do you still like exposure to that kind of thing?
Thanks but no thanks on the webinar. My remaining interest in the Bible is rethinking how some of the supposed myth may have been misunderstood phenomena, and I occasionally recall with interest the wisdom found in some of the ancient writings. But overall, I had enough scripture crammed down my throat to last several lifetimes.
Oh noes. You piqued my interest. You said you "occasionally recall with interest the wisdom found in some of the ancient writings." Me, too! I only meant the archaeolical side.
For some reason I got reported to Substack over this post and had to re-authenticate.
Sorry, Greg, I did not mean to get your Substack reported over ANU Museum webinar. You know me well and that is my lane.
‘The myth that human beings are superior to non-human animals is the most important lesson that I ever unlearned.’
When living in the FL Keys, five feral neighborhood kitties decided to move in with us. My Luna, and her daughter, Kabu - both jet black panthers - were acrobats, able to hop straight up on any tall bookshelf or Tiki Hut roof. The runt of the litter, my tiny tuxedo cat, Tornado was a master of jumping high in the air, turn around while airborne and land, facing the other way! 😸 #CatsRule
Were they the Hemingway cats with the six toes?
Five toes on all five of them, but if I’d stayed for more than 10 years in the Keys, I’d have ended up with 40, like Hemingway did in Key West 😸
I can't agree more 💯🐾💙 Furbababies a word I coined on Internet in 1998 hold much of the Natural Wisdom of the World 🌎.💙💙🐾 I'm unhappy talking to most humans 😔 8years of foolish hate.
Good people are hard to find - but I’m sure happy when I do.
Due to the modern day mangling of his poetry, I should imagine Reid is turning in his grave. It doesn't sit with me either. Interesting food for thought on this downright chilly Sunday. Cheers Greg.
I think he changed it himself, which is strange...
Yes, I think so 🤔
I definitely like the original version of this magnificent poem. I’ve been thinking a lot about “truth” over the last few weeks. In my morning meditations I have been asking for “Illuminated Truth” to take over our reality for many years. Every once in a while I’ll hear a whisper “you also need to be ready for the truth that will come to your doorstep”. My pleas for truth were initially motivated by the Disinformation campaign perpetrated in the USA. Without much consideration of “What is true for thee, is true for me.” Well, “Truth” came knocking on the window to my soul over the holidays and the result is absolutely paradigm changing, life changing and something I never thought would happen. I’m not ready to talk about the details yet but it has rocked my family with reverberations that will continue for many years into the future. I listened to your podcast with Aja Raden yesterday - excellent discussion! So many layers of truth and lies wrapped up in a little shiny stone. One thing that struck me was the comment by the man who had knowledge of the truth about the diamond industry. He said he saw too much and didn’t want to know any more than he already knew. He looked into the abyss and knew there was no bottom. Ignorance is bliss - I say that not as a judgment. Sometimes the truth is too much. I can apply this to the MAGA crowd. Especially when we consider how long they have been steeped in the disinformation. It takes a lot of strength to live in the truth. It also takes a lot of strength to be curious and flexible in your thinking. It takes a lot of strength to live.
I hope that the paradigm shift and the life change is positive, or, if not positive, at least something that brings wisdom. It does indeed take a lot of strength to live, especially in the winter, when it's so cold.
Milton:
Sleep on, Blest pair; and O! yet happiest, if ye seek No happier state, and know to know no more.
It will provide a lot of wisdom in the long run and is something that needs to be addressed and normalized in society. Winter, especially this winter (-1 degree right now), adds to the challenge. Can't wait until I can see the grass again! I'm glad your homecoming was so good.
One question. If the Iams are so easy to spot, then WHY do pet owners always step on them in the dark kitchen at 2:00 am, like tiny Legos that have fallen out of the pet bowl?
Ha! You mean the cans or the little pellets?
The pellets. Did you know "kibble" is an ancient word derived from "Kitchen Bullshit?" True story. "What is this bullshit I am stepping on in my kitchen in the middle of the night?" Ha.
Perfectly poignant Gail, it doesn’t take a a lifetime to find truth, a curious mind, however reckless the journey, and more importantly the desire to seek.
I certainly hope things in your corner of the continuum are well!
Great read Greg!!
I enjoyed this very much. I had never read the poem before. Cats are the only thing on my mind right now as we try to weatherproof the shelter for our two half-feral cats. Cold cold weather coming even down here in Mississippi. Warm wishes to all creatures. Thanks again for all your work, Greg. Stay warm.
Thanks, McLain. You too, please stay warm!
Almost 30 years ago I married a cat person. I travelled too much back then to have any animals but when I started my own business mostly working from home my husband decided I needed a cat to keep me company. And in walked Moody Blue, a blue abysinnian. I didn't care for him at first. He liked to leap on my head while I was at the computer working. He had Cirque du Soleil moves too!
When Moody was 14 he died of a rare dog and children leukemia. The day he died was one of the worst in my life and I haven't gotten another cat since. Although if a stray would decide to show up and adopt us, I would not be unhappy.
I understand. Our cat Bob died on January 25, 2005, of a similarly rare disease, when our son turned one month old. I was sad, but my poor wife was in torment, screaming into a pillow. It's just awful when they go.
The thing to do when cats die is to get another one immediately, before you think you're ready. At least, that is our experience. RIP Moody Blue!
Thoroughly enjoyed this Sunday's Prevail, Greg, but I leave the heavy of it to you and other readers!
My cat story involves my cat, Kim Chi's encounter with Rocky, my neighbor's happy-go-lucky dog during a babysitting event I'll never forget.
Taking a flying leap toward the bed, it was in mid-air that Rocky caught sight of the sprawling Kim Chi whose domain it was he was about to unceremoniously enter.
Previous encounters with Kim Chi had already alerted Rocky to who she was and where he would stand as an uninvited guest into her private chambers.
Eyes wide with fear, he quickly realized sheer will would not stop the law of gravity nor enable him to back-pedal his way to safety. So, he landed with a plop, seemingly prepared to take the consequences. I can't tell you how relieved I was to see her, without moving a muscle, order that he make a hasty retreat which she would reward by not bothering to give chase in return. The End!
That is one lucky dog!
(By Greg Olear, article)
'The iambs are easy to spot, as every word in the couplet has one syllable, just as cat, dog, life, and hell have one syllable. The new version ends like this: '
Keep writing.
I loved the poem although at this moment in my life I’m a definite dog person and have been for years now. Cats rarely let you into their world and after my husband died I still needed to be needed. My little rescue allows me in. Like a cat though, I’ve always been curious about life, other places and other people so I’ve traveled to satisfy my curiosity. That’s why I made the decision last year to pull up stakes, sell most of the “things” that held me in my old life and moved to another country with my dog. I’m loving everything that’s new here. I have a reason to get up and make my bed every morning. Even though I may do absolutely nothing but eat my two meals a day and drink my water(it’s hot here)I find I’m very much at peace with my life. And it’s wonderful.
Thanks for sharing. I'm glad that you have found peace! I'm sure it took great courage to make that move, and I'm glad to hear it has worked out for you (and your dog).
I'm with you. Full disclosure: this is also one of my favorite poems. Love how you break it down; makes me want to take your class!
I love the poem so much!
I am a TOTAL dog person, although a lot of that could be because I've always been allergic to cats. It's the only allergy I haven't lost in my old age. I can still remember finding out I was allergic when I was about 12 and it's never left me -- hay fever, mold spores, and all that spring and fall irritants make no appearances now, but the cat allergy remains. I'm currently between pets with a new one surely arriving in the spring, and I've been toying with the idea of getting a cat, but that also involves researching whether there are drugs that can alleviate my allergies to them. THEN, I think, do I REALLY want to have to take drugs to have a pet? It's not exactly an existential crisis, but it IS something else to think about in the daily existential crisis that is life now.
It is likely I'll get another dog because in addition to the above, and that I like cats, and the idea of cats, I'm almost hardwired for dogs. That might be a good thing for the times we live in. A dog is almost invariably cheerful -- at least mine always was -- but cats can match your mood pretty easily, it seems. And who needs THAT kind of reinforcement in the age of fascism on the rise? Absolutely NO offense is meant to cat people, it's just my personal observations and how I think I would respond to a cat vs. a dog. I can say for sure that I don't miss having to walk a dog today -- it's currently -6, with a wind chill of -29, and sarcastically SUNNY! Today is most definitely a cat day.
Dogs. Colorado lets them go everywhere. Driving... to me, is pointing out dogs along the route. I threaten them thru the rolled up window with things like, "You are so cute I am going to squish your face. Squeezle your beezle. Huggle your buggle." Or, "I am going to pet your big, fat scruff, you beast." If a business has a regular dog, I try to return. And that is saying something. I loves me some dawg. My dog has been wicked lately because he don'ts like the snow and polar potties.
I find that dogs often dislike me. Not all dogs, of course, but they must smell my fear.
It's probably just your voice; deep, booming, authoritative. Dogs ALWAYS like women better than men. My 25-pound dog LOVED to go after the BIG dogs at the dog park and try to hump them; German Sheperds, Great Danes, a St. Bernard once, it didn't matter to him. There were a few times I found myself wading into a circle of dogs to get him because they'd get together and gang up on this little annoyance. I probably should have had more fear than I did, but I'd go in with a loud, high-pitched, "HEY! HEY! HEY!" and they'd part like the Red Sea.
Dogs have their poems, too. Try Ferlinghetti's "Dog." I'm not going to copy and paste it because Substack would go berserk over the line breaks. Take a look here:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/53076/dog-56d2320f90631
You're right; that's a great one. Thanks for sharing! I love comparing the Congressman to a fire hydrant especially.
Always loved Ferlinghetti and ee cummings!
I thought I was allergic for years, and then my allergies just went away. God knows why, but I'm glad. Maybe I built up a resistance? Who knows. You're right that cats can be assholes. And my god, this cold is awful, and it just started here yesterday...
Steve, I am a dog person too. I've always had dogs as part of my family. I wonder why the allergies disappeared? This is very intriguing because the older I get the more I seem to be affected by allergies. I use Flonase daily which keeps them under control but if I miss a day...
I don't know how the formulas are now but be careful! There was actually several months in college where I was addicted to nasal spray. It sounds as ridiculous as it was, and I don't even remember why I started using it -- hay fever, maybe? But after months, I realized I couldn't breathe through my nose without it, and I went COLD TURKEY! I think it took about 10 days to clear my system. Dumbest addiction ever!
Thanks, Steve. I do remember some of my friends in college being addicted to Afrin - maybe that stale dorm air?! I decided to google "nasal spray addiction" and if you ever have a whole lot of time on your hands, there are many rabbit holes to fall into on that subject! I have decided to stop the Flonase until allergy season. Thank you for the reality check (awareness!).
Afrin! That's what it was. I still remember the white bottle with the maroon printing on it -- late '70s. Nobody ever talks about the scourge of nasal spray addiction! 😂 Of course, it is low on the addiction damage scale.
Lovely poem. I used to teach Sound and Sense. It is full of good stuff.
When my old cat died, years ago, my mom gave me a little female kitten, which I named Caitlin, pronounced as the Irish do, Cat-LEAN. My then husband took her in to be spayed. I was in a meeting with the president and the CEO of my company when then receptionist tapped at the door. "I'm not supposed to interrupt but Susan, your husband called and said your girl is a boy." Stopped the meeting cold. Caitlin stayed she all her life. We embraced gender fluidity from the early days.
Another great cat poem comes from Old Celtic, found scribbled on the side of a manuscript. This is my version of it (done after my writing group decided to "translate" poems from languages we did not speak, simply comparing many versions and creating one that fit our own style best. ) My current cat is called Pangur, though since he's basic black it is really Pangur Dubh. Substack messes up formatting, btw.
Pangur Ban
White puss Pangur Ban and I, the solitary
Monk, are much alike. He crafts his hunt
As I do mine: I stalk the word and he
The mouse.
Apart and peaceful in our cell, we are
Content with our small lot and neither
Jealous of the other’s powers;
**
We pass the hours together. Often times he’ll tease
The wary vermin; I find, entangled in my claws,
A difficult thought, and coax the meaning out.
**
He eyes the mouse hole with bright, ominous stare;
I stare at the page with weak eyes fixed, keen to know what lies
behind the ink and vellum. We spring our nets.
**
Upon a pounce we both rejoice, each with our catch:
The mouse, the meaning pleases us to jubilation. We work together, yes,
And yet alone, and each respects the other’s skill,
**
The mastery of the thing that never-ending lures us on.
That's a great poem! Thanks for sharing.
My brother gave my wife and I a cat for Xmas one year, 20 some odd years ago. We already had two cats in a small apartment, so we couldn't keep her. But my parents didn't have pets and my dad took care of her and fell in love with her. The first day, he became concerned because of the strange wheezing noise she was making. Maybe she was choking? He took her to the vet, who calmly explained that Mimi was purring...
LOL!
🥰
I agree, the last line needs to be in iambic pentameter not only to make its rhythm flow but to add to the 'punch' that iambic creates with its repetitive 'soft-HARD, soft-HARD' march of the inevitable.
Exactly!
PSST, PSST, PSST...
Pussycat friend,
why do you smile
Looking so cool
all the while?
Do you recall the mouse-sicle
tasty and warm,
Or just a cool butterfly snack
on the lawn?
What do you think when your eyelids blink?
Are you just dreaming about high jinx
Or enjoying the sun in your special way,
Whilst quietly planning the rest of your day?
Or do you remember a special place?
Maybe our game with the long shoelace?
You hunt while your simple human friends sleep And never speak, your dark secrets to keep.
Then high on the fence, walking just so
Each paw placed with precision flow
Like a pussycat ballet for all to see.
We, who love your purr, your soft and furry
Bod when you perch on our fatty knees
With your willingness to share your ease
And deep knowledge of the universe,
I'll say, "Come here kitty-
psst, psst, psst.."
***
Billserle.com
Love it, especially the last two lines!
Raised as I was by a God-fearing, Bible-thumping mother, and serving for nine years as an Air Force officer, I learned how to follow the rules and walk the straight and narrow. Still, as I look back over my long life, I have managed to take a lot of risks, and I realize that my greatest growth and fondest memories came from times when I had broken the rules. Curiosity didn’t turn me into a world adventurer, but, given where I started—being taught that our reward is in Heaven after we die—curiosity did propel me into living a full life in the real world!
Earl but do you still like the history Bible stuff? I do. I appreciate the part of my childhood where I was learning some of that stuff, it is complicated. ANU Museum is having a live webinar about Codex Sassoon on the 17th. It is 1:00 pm EST on Jan 17th but you have to RSVP so I am unsure how open it is to everyone. I am def not spamming Greg's TL here but how cool just historically about the old document/relic itself. Do you still like exposure to that kind of thing?
Thanks but no thanks on the webinar. My remaining interest in the Bible is rethinking how some of the supposed myth may have been misunderstood phenomena, and I occasionally recall with interest the wisdom found in some of the ancient writings. But overall, I had enough scripture crammed down my throat to last several lifetimes.
Oh noes. You piqued my interest. You said you "occasionally recall with interest the wisdom found in some of the ancient writings." Me, too! I only meant the archaeolical side.
For some reason I got reported to Substack over this post and had to re-authenticate.
Sorry, Greg, I did not mean to get your Substack reported over ANU Museum webinar. You know me well and that is my lane.
Why would ANU be THAT controversial?
I do not work for ANU in any way, peoples.
And we are all the better for it, Earl!