Ms Calico

Ms Calico, who comes to me
only on her terms~ obstinately not 
at my beck-and-call. Ms Calico 
arrives demanding her tuna, fresh from
the can...purrs like an angel
dreaming, her glossy coat licked
proper and gleaming.

No, is never my option when tending 
to her needs, myself feeling quite under review
when performing orderly deeds; seen her torture 
mice and birds appearing for no other reason
than sadistic fun, affectless leaving their limp
carcasses when her gross pastime done – though, 
next to my own, there is no more caring a mother, 
nearly died protecting her kittens, my fondest
the runt I named Mittens. 

I have found with dogs it is all about 
love...and with cats it is more awe and
respect.  I became frantic when she
went missing 3 days, my heart
was an abysmal wreck.

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Sara Kendrick

Date: 10/10/2022 1:48:00 PM

Yes, we can become attached to our 4-legged friends, and it breaks our heart when we think they are gone and definitely when they are gone on to meet their reward. Thank you for sharing and for dropping by my page. Saras

Joe Dimino
Date: 10/11/2022 10:38:00 AM

Hi Sara; thank you. I have two cats now, and I am getting old. These will be the last for me I think--maybe an old shelter cat if I hang in there beyond obvious expiration date. Love them. Blessings my friend.

Panagiota Romios

Date: 10/6/2022 2:56:00 PM

Hi Joe, I friend here, calls my calico Queen Irene! She’s a charmer.my at is always indoors. Night animals, larger than her are outdoors. Plus…still hot here. She’s attached to Elena and I. You can command a dog, they obey! Cats choose to decide. They are not packanimals like dogs. Love.Pangie

Joe Dimino
Date: 10/7/2022 9:14:00 AM

Hi pangie; I use to spend a lot of time hiking the deserts and mountains. Usually creatures that can hurt you want to avoid us as much as we want to avoid them. When they come around the house, which is rare in Phoenix proper, one can't take chances with children and pets. The things that have bitten me the most are those darn gone brown paper wasps. Hurt like heck, and, maybe I am extra sensitive in my old age, cause some scary swelling. Scorpion bites are painful, but generally calm in a relative short period of time, leaving the area of the bite numb for a week or so. At least that has been my experience, not suggesting to anyone not to avoid them. Blessings.

Panagiota Romios
Date: 10/6/2022 11:16:00 PM

I commented back to you in one of my poems…but don’t think you saw it. Anyway, you have an animal farm going. Gee. I saw a opossum on my deck ….boy, pretty ugly. All the feral cats are gone. It’s lonely for my cat and I.. Snakes? I saw one shot dead in the AZ desert when I was on tour. Scary! I always has a calico and a ginger since 1972. Lovely souls. Pangie

Joe Dimino
Date: 10/6/2022 4:27:00 PM

I have only two right now, a Calico and a Ginger; they started out as outdoor cats but the past 8 years I have kept them in for safe keeping. I built a porch extension in the backyard, screened in but almost like being outside. They get plenty of guests at night, raccoons, skunks, and who knows what else? Skunks, appearance wise, are beautiful little critters. Some very deadly animals passing, slithering through are not unheard of. So safer indoors. Killed a big scorpion recently. Joe and Ila.

Sam Kauffman

Date: 10/6/2022 10:44:00 AM

A delightful bit of feline verse Joe. Thanks for sharing Ms. Calico with us. Sounds like she found her way home. I wonder what she did without her tuna for three days. Funny, our Wheaten Terrier is wild about tuna! Go figure!! Blessings.

Joe Dimino
Date: 10/6/2022 2:03:00 PM

Thank you, Sam; we sure do love our 4 legged buddies. And my wife also:) Blessings my friend.