Black Cat

I've never ever in my life liked any cats, I preferred to live, rather, amidst grain-field-rats; And black cats, all the more, have remained omens, bad, To see one, is enough to turn the day so sad...! My sweetheart, though knowing me well, did not know why, Brought one; blackest of all; like the gloomiest sky; Fed him with purest milk which I so seldom got, And nurtured, as though a child, worth winning jack-pot...! Our common bed turned, his comfortable cradle, Best of food was fed to him through silver ladle; My resentments went, as though, music in deaf ears, Tricks of trades, I tried, in all possible spheres...! We drifted away, from hearts and souls, lived aloof, The black cat toured around our whole house and the roof; Something like smell of rats, he seemed to feel some day, Chased them; my sweetheart couldn't follow far away...! Silently, when the cat was out at night, she said: Didn't I do something wrong, in sharing our bed? Whoever might be, though it seemed, to be my pet, My mind, today, does not seem to be at rest set...! Hence, we together, arrived at a conclusion, To get rid of, forever, every illusion; We'll build a cattery and we'll give him a queen, Milk, indeed, we'll provide; and, meats, as we eat, clean...! Thus, everything went well; we lived in happiness, Our momentary bitterness turned great sweetness; Placing people and beasts and plants and trees well-tuned, Sure, will make cosmos, rhythm robustly resumed...! Many blacks, they did not turn bad omens, later, We kissed them; saw that in all ways, we did cater; The way we look at people and beings matter, With absolute optimism, blind-faiths do shatter...! 22 March 2022 Black Cat Poetry Contest Sponsored by: Robert James Liguori