A Paw-purree of Poetry (sorry, I just couldn't resist!) in honour of our feline friends...

If you're a felinophile you should check out Moggycat's Cat Pages (from which I shamelessly lifted all these poems).  You can spend hours reading everything "cat" there.

Information about the cat graphics is at the bottom of the page.
THE CAT AT NIGHT ~ S. L. Smith

I feel your silken warmth against my shoulder,
The murmured gentleness of sleepbound sighs,
And should I turn my head towards you
I'd lock my gaze with green bewitching eyes.
For you my cat, my sweet companion,
Peaceful slumberer by my face,
I suffer you to steal my pillow,
Your presence brings to me such grace.
HOLY ~  K. MacVitie

The peace and joy you give me, no words can ever tell,
The lessons that you teach me, in my heart will always dwell,
Your purrs bring forth divinity, to comfort, heal and bless,
Wondrous being, praise to you for your gracious loveliness.

CATS' CHARTER ~ Joan Brocklehurst

I wonder, every passing day,
If cats could speak, what would they say?

Please do not offer food that's stale,
And most of all, don't pull my tail!
Do not imagine it is right
To turn me out to spend each night,
No, leave me to enjoy my rest
By cosy fireside - that's the best.
Do talk to me, and stroke my fur,
I'll always answer with a purr.
All cats need food, but mice and rats
Are not enough for farmyard cats.
Make sure, when serving meat or fish
No bones appear upon my dish.
An unkempt look you ought to note,
Then comb the tangles from my coat.
Please learn the meaning of my words -
"I'm hungry" or "I'm watching birds".

We cats agree, it would be nice,
If people followed OUR advice.

 
Some Cats Are Loving; Some Are Aloof,
Some Like To Climb Trees Or Sit On The Roof,
There Are Cats Who Stay Out Late And Hunt In The Night,
Then Appear Home For Breakfast As Soon As It's Light,
And Then There Are ‘Home’ Cats Who Sleep On Your Bed,
They Wake You Each Morning By Paddling Your Head!
All Cats Are Different, It's Part Of Their Charm,
Please Help to Protect Them And Keep Them From Harm.


     CONTENTMENT ~ G. M. Bate

"Lord, what fools these mortals be"
A line I’ve borrowed from the Bard,
For no truer word wrote he;
They fret and fume and work so hard
And fill their lives with worry;
They have no time, they cannot wait,
They’re always in a hurry.

Now they could learn a lot from me
Who know the art of sitting still
And taking life more leisurely!
I can long hours contented fill
In watching through my narrowed eyes
The tiny things that come my way,
The busy ants and restless flies.

I toil not, neither do I spin
(I can’t avoid quotation)
And yet I am not worn or thin;
I thrive on contemplation,
Like those anchorites so holy
Who expected and accepted
Food and homage from the lowly.

Like them I sit, aloof and wise,
Upon some safe and lofty perch,
And watch the crowds that early rise
To start their never ending search
For things to me that matter not
For I have learnt to be content
With what has fallen to my lot!


TO MY CAT ~ Roy Burton         

My cat, my dear and gentle frjend,
As you lay sleeping quietly,
I think of all the times we spend
In true and happy company.
How I delight my life to share
With you, so loyal and dignified,
Sublime reward beyond compare,
Just to see you by my side.

Dear cat, how full of grace you are,
As near perfection as could be,
Most elegant of life’s gifts by far,
Proportioned in pure symmetry.
Yet your placid form does hide
A supple strength and gallant heart,
You are, it cannot be denied
Nature’s finest work of art.

How much joy you bring to me,
Like sunshine to a winter’s day,
What greater pleasure can there be
Than to watch you as you play.
When troubles seem to grow apace
I tell you of my fears and pain,
You rub your head against my face,
And suddenly, all is well again.

In the private world that’s all your own
You have no thoughts of greed or spite,
Nor waste your time to weep and moan
Of things that do not seem just right.
I look at you with grateful heart,
As in the fire’s warm glow you lie,
The simple joys that you impart,
No money on this earth could buy.

Oh, my dear friend, when you are gone,
Such sadness will be hard to bear,
The rooms so empty, days so long,
When you are no longer there.
But you, sweet cat, you cannot know
That final parting brings such pain,
When fate at last deals that cruel blow,
And I cannot hold you tight again.

My cat, my dear and gentle friend,
As you lay sleeping quietly,
I thank you for the time we spend
In true and happy company.
How I delight my life to share
With you, so loyal and dignified,
Blessed am I with riches rare,
When I have you by my side.


THE CAT FAMILY ~ Dorothy Elthorne-Jones)

The lordly lion, proudly roaming free,
The cheetah who, with perfect symmetry,
With any rival runner can compete -
The fastest motivation on four feet.

The loping leopard, moving silently,
The wily tiger, waiting patiently
Until his prey, unmoving is and still,
Then springs with speed to make the measured kill.

Domestic cats of such diversity,
The champion with perfect pedigree,
The other sort, like mine, with none at all,
Why do these creatures hold us so in thrall?
A FRIEND ~ Phillip Wright

A cat loves you for his own gains,
From bawdy tricks his mind refrains,
He exchanges love to suit his need,
No contract 'twixt you both agreed.
A life-long friend and always there,
Curled upon your favourite chair,
Count his faults, arrive at none,
Watch him basking in the noonday sun.
See him roll and soak the rays,
Give each other countless days
Of closeness, minds as one,
Till both your days are done.
The cats that grace this page are all from the work of the incredibly talented Susan Herbert.  Susan Herbert's innovative and witty feline renderings of famous masterpieces have won her a large admiring public. 

The graphics were all made using PSP Tubes from
Phyllis' PSP Tubes 

If you're not using frames, or you're caught in someone else's frames, click to go Home


Copyright © 2001 - 
Pandora's Box
Design by
This page last modified
06 July 2003