For most of my life I have shared homes with a succession of cats, mostly strays or orphans, who, the moment they crossed the threshold, assumed total ownership of the property. Our latest rescue cat is no exception, although intelligent he has yet to put pen to paper but if he did I’m sure it would go something like this.
Freddie’s Lament
My human is ungrateful,
he doesn’t understand,
although I try to please him
and rub against his hand.
He feeds me well
and I can tell
in some ways he’s quite kind.
The problem is however
he has not, a feline mind.
A feline is a hunter.
and I thought that he would know,
that when it isn’t raining,
then a-hunting I must go.
I take myself across the field
and patiently I wait,
beneath the hedge,
in the long grass,
sometimes until quite late.
I lay there still and silent,
just waiting for my prey.
I’m usually successful,
and something comes my way,
a vole, a shrew, a mouse.
and then… my lightning pounce!
So then with care, I cart it back
across the fields to home.
I lug it through the cat flap
but of course I should have known,
he won’t show appreciation,
I’m just greeted with a shout.
‘Freddie don’t you drop it there!
You take that thing back out.’
