Cat poetry has been around for a long time. And why not? Cats are just so intriguing, even if you prefer not to have one sharing a house with you.
Having slept, the cat gets up,
yawns, goes out
to make love.
Now you can get your cat poetry via our fun “Cats” playlist. From Cat Power (the group); to Cat Stevens (the individual artist); to Spanish, French, and German cat lyrics, we’ve got it all… even Rocky! (Eye of the Tiger). Click play, and start up our new writing theme for the month: Cats.
Poetry Prompt
Try out an Issa-style cat poem. Give us a simple picture of a cat doing something… simple. Three lines. That’s all you need.
Thanks to our participants in last week’s poetry prompt. Here’s a recent ghazal we enjoyed from Maureen…
Charming Billy: A Mash-up Ghazal
Oh, where have you been, Billy boy, Billy boy?
Write a letter to me, love, don’t be coy, Billy boy.
The cat’s in the cupboard and he can’t see us.
And Daddy’s gone a hunting. Jump for joy, Billy boy.
Mid pleasures and palaces, bells are sweetly ringing.
We are floating in sunshine. Yes, attaboy, Billy boy!
Sixty minutes make an hour. My babe to sleep he goes.
O fiddle-de-dee, O baby dearest, I can’t enjoy Billy boy.
The skies with storms are laden. Nature calls but calls in vain.
Softly sighs the voice of evening, you me annoy, Billy boy.
Bobby Shafto’s gone to sea now; his training’s just begun.
And when the drumbeats call to war, you’ll too deploy, Billy boy.
Oh, diddle, diddle dumpling, my Highland laddie’s gone.
And if a frog he would a wooing, I would destroy Billy boy.
All is still in sweetest rest, Maureen. Thou needst no longer weep.
A ship, his ship’s a sailing. So bid ahoy, Billy boy
Photo by alessandrobl, Creative Commons, via Flickr.
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Sometimes we feature your poems in Every Day Poems, with your permission of course. Thanks for writing with us!
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- Ekphrastic Poems Prompt: In the Lost House - November 18, 2024
- Triptychs: Interview with Poet Megan Merchant - November 13, 2024
Monica Sharman says
I scrolled down looking for Copland’s The Cat and the Mouse (which my son’s piano teacher had him learn a couple of years ago). Different, and pretty fun.
http://youtu.be/qZPC3UHrux8
L. L. Barkat says
scroll a little further? 😉
Love the song!
Maureen Doallas says
Thank you for featuring ‘Charming Billy’.
——–
Caught with gold
fish in paw,
the cat blinks
twice, rolls on
its back, dreams
of more sushi.
Grace Marcella Brodhurst-Davis says
Loved your poem, “Charming Billy”, Maureen! Congrats!! Those songs brought back many good childhood memories too 🙂
Maureen Doallas says
Thank you so much, Grace. It was a fun challenge I set myself.
Jon Lewis says
Pat
Poor Pat Poor Pat
Poor Pat the Asthmatic cat
Listen to him cough and sneeze
Listen to him gasp and wheeze
Can there be no worse times than these?
For Pat For Pat
For Pat the Asthmatic Cat
Never any time to purr or lick
Climb or chase a mouse or chick
Can you imagine being, to yourself allergic?
dianna dorough says
I LOVE this poem!
My cat, Stella–Asthmatic;
We’ll read it tonight!
Megan Willome says
Curled beneath the car
the cat does not blink
hiding from my dogs.
Grace Marcella Brodhurst-Davis says
Nice one, Megan!
Maureen Doallas says
She calls. The cat
pounces, screeching
pillow fight!
Donna says
You guys are so great! HA! Love all of these!
Jeremiah Castelo says
Eighth life already ended
Still, I must hide his bone!
Meow, some stars are supernovas…
Marcy Terwilliger says
Two new kittens have I, both are Bengals what a surprise. They run and play rough all day then fall asleep wherever they may.
Grace Marcella Brodhurst-Davis says
Amidst forlorn cries,
kittens look with learning eyes
-their new master’s smile
http://gracebrodhurstdavis.blogspot.com/2013/11/amidst-forlorn-cries-kittens-look-with.html
Stacy Savage says
I sent you a message on your blog link you provided.
Richard Maxson says
Congratulations, Maureen for a fine Ghazal!
Maureen Doallas says
Thank you, Richard! I tend to hear it sung rather than read.
Richard Maxson says
This is a form called a Triolet. I wrote this a while ago and it is the antithesis of a cute cat poem, but it does have a cat in it. I think the inspiration for this may have been Van Morrison’s song TB Sheets.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cough and Cat
I feel the yellow air move when I cough;
you look at each other, then the door.
It’s OK, not much now puts me off.
I see the yellow air move when I cough,
rubs up against me like an old cat, rough
and strange and mangy fellow that
purrs inside the yellow windows when I cough.
He wants outside, but years have left him fat.
Maureen Doallas says
Oh, the visuals of this!
nance.mdr says
lick, lick, lick
paw over nose
in a patch of light
nance.mdr says
cool cat
barely tame
says that poetry is her game
Mark Ettinger says
A cat escape
Of the unique scape
Of a fire escape
Sorry, can’t seem to attach the photo.
Richard Maxson says
Bummer
Three tears in the color of night,
blue eyes, pink tongue,
and like mine, a voice so slight.
The pair of us they would say,
my bummer cat,
looking for a home, then the day
I cleaned you up, night’s hue
like desert sky,
brilliant dark, the stars of you.