In my town, a sight I pass every day is Ugly the cat.
One eyed UGLY, is strange and most tell him to scat.
Fights have caused a limp and he has just one ear.
He’s a sorrowful looking mess that many people fear.
Some feed him, and I have given him milk to drink.
I doubt anyone has gotten close, sure to be a stink
He’s not the type of cat you’d love or want to own
Poor old Ugly seemed happy to be all alone.
A newcomer to the area took a dislike to the cat
Poured water over it, so it moved from where it sat
It was Winter and the bitter cold he just couldn't stand
The cat was near death, I picked him up with a gentle hand
That sweet cat nestled into my coat and gently purred
That was a sound that from Ugly no-one had heard
I looked down at his unfortunate face, and shed a tear
Don’t worry mate I softly said, I will stay with you here
He looked back and gave a soft meow and slipped away.
I missed him, but "glad he is gone" some would say.
A feeling of regret that I didn't do more, I had inside.
Hung a plaque on the wall. This is where Ugly did reside.
That soft whir that hums away
Holds my heart with so much sway
It slips me to a bygone day
Now digital decay
Those nights when it could be heard
I never noticed when it whirred
But now i’d find my heart stirred
To remember how the white noise purred
At night, while my mind goes on
I realize that the noise is gone
When did it fade with the dawn
Will I follow it into the beyond?
Where is the sound of static?
It was after midnight,
when he slipped out of bed,
careful not to disturb,
the trailing streamers
of dreamers in la la land.
The house held its breath warm—
willing all within its walls
to stay asleep; not be stirred.
The creaks of timber stairs
were never heard, never slurred,
to blurt out their secrets and
break the stark, thin, brittle hush of night.
As he snuck into the kitchen,
the night light came on,
saving a bare-foot snub.
As he stooped to open the fridge,
he saw the note she left on the door,
from the day before, saying:
“I forgot to tell you the milk's a little off.”
He smiled at the crooked charm of the message,
feeling a ghost in the whispered warning.
Fed the milk to the cat.
It purred with delight.
Sometimes he thought, such tiny phrases,
slip in before they're noticed,
curdle before you taste them.
Only to slink away with a sting in their tale.
With that, he nodded and returned.
The fridge door slammed itself shut.
He wandered back to bed, on tiptoe, making no sound.
He left the light night burning,
for the shadows that rose on the landing,
and for the cat.
Both slunk away, back to bed.
The surgeon
had successfully removed his libido
and fed it to the hospital cat.
Corridors became whispering tubes
for I.V. drip pushing wanderers,
their pale bottoms peering out
like beluga whales through the cracks
of gaping gowns.
He dreamed often,
the drugs swiped his mind,
he was a screen, that with flickering ease
erased and replaced his life
with crazily narrated electric poetry,
a hypersonic buzz
that pretzelled his thoughts.
A nurse appeared to him between
the sensual waves that spayed across
his surgically mauled mortality.
She was erotically enhanced,
her trance-dance of sexuality
poured into his flaccid organs
like a shot of ice-cold Taquilla.
Once she spoke to him - just once.
Her words were umber honey
between his parted lips.
He struggled to understand.
Clarity came upon him -
"You're my libido."
He had forgotten about the cat!
She purred softly
as she adjusted his pillows.
No way you could call this a drizzle
Came out like rhinoceros pizzle
On this day at the zoo
This old monkey just blew
It fried my eyes and made them sizzle
Blinded, direction was hard to gauge
And I fell into the lion's cage
I was sure she'd eat me
But she purred so sweetly
Now I live with a cat half my age
Had no trouble adjusting at all
Bet you wouldn't catch this at the mall
So just you wait and see
A proud papa I'll be
Because she's expecting in the Fall
She throws herself at the feet
of the unimpressed—
rolling, rubbing and yowling,
an opera of yearning
for the neutered elite.
They blink, stretch, then saunter off
for another nap
on the sun-pooled sill,
leaving her to flirt
with the legs of chairs.
Bewildered by the bopped nose,
the rebuffed overtures—
arching and warbling,
tail high with invitation—
she meets only
indifference or disdain.
Again she circles,
unsure if maybe
she’s doing it wrong.
Mid-kitchen now,
she flops down wailing
betrayal in the key of estrus,
as if to say:
Was it something I purred?
The V12 purred as the fireboat ran
easy outpaced the coastguard man
this time;
last time, bullets blazed
so what;
the price was raised
waiting on the rum line for a good tide
duty-free; it goes stateside.
They can’t catch us
we’re fast and sleek
who’s gonna bother at
30 bucks a week?
seven hundred k I made this year
1920, and running is the gear!
orchestral stars played
moon and shadows did a dance
cat purred in cadence
11/5/2024
The simpering sound of Suzie Marie
Had all the men flocking and wanting to see
Her beautiful hair piled high in a bow
In a pretty white dress, cut short and cut low
The girl with the luscious lashes so long
The look in her eyes so fragile yet strong
The smile on her lips was a smouldering pout
She purred and she posed, whilst working them out
The simpering sound of Suzie Marie
Make men fall in love, including me
I fell asleep outside,
on Lisa’s windy, 50th floor terrace.
It was indulgent, sensual
and lethargic - it crushed.
I forgot the time.
The sunset was intense,
a violent shock of color,
like an existential smack in the face.
I felt a lot of joy.
I’m feeling optimistic.
We leave for New Haven tomorrow.
I believe in the future.
Leeza popped her head out of the glass doors,
she was wearing a small, pale, skin bikini,
“Wanna go to the (indoor basement) pool?”
I stretched like a cat, “Sure,” I purred.
.
.
a song for this:
Hit My Heart by BOY
Relax by Vacations
.
.
Our cast:
Leeza, my roommate Lisa’s 14-year-old skinny, redheaded beauty of a little sister.
Lisa, one of my Yale roommates whose parents live in a Central Park South, Manhattan Highrise
Were those soft veiled thoughts you purred
those of promises or threats
truth told I knew I didn’t care.
I heed your eyes as each word
melts like smoke from cigarettes
into your dark clouded snare
that shrouds desire and intent.
I glad fell into your trap
and am, but your finger snap
away from love’s true torment.
In a quiet part of a raucous circus
we made love
the crowd knew nothing of our tryst
the noise played on
The elephants reared their hind legs
the lions roared
monkeys ran round like lunatics
my baby purred like a pussy cat
We howled in our ardor
Time passed slowly but too quickly
the din of joyful delight died in a diminished calm
I looked at her beatific face
she looked at me with grace
I said, “Thank you, M’am.”
she said, “No, thank you sir.”
I replied, “I hope we meet again someday
in a more gracious, way.”
She said you never can tell
when the hand of yes will appear again
and allow the years to pile on like love was made for you
and see each other grow folds under our eyes with age
In the meantime, think good thoughts about this moment
She turned the corner and was gone.
the old woman lives alone
she has pains in every bone
with no family, no friend
she struggles waiting for the end
one day a stray cat came to her door
and she told it to "get away" with a roar
but the old cat kept coming back and back
so, she began to soften and gave it a snack
soon, she expect and wanted the cat
stroking his dirty fur as she sat
it purred and rubbed against her
then, she brought him in stroking his fur
she fed him, gave him water, and gave him a bath
and that gesture of love opened up a new path
the old lady is not alone anymore
for her love for this sweet old cat does pour and pour
is it fairy dust ?
must be ... for disgust turned into their loving trust
It's not easy being a cat, you know
They say we have nine lives
But truth be told, like you, we have but one
In my personal life, in my odyssey to the road of being loved
I purred many days and nights on doorsteps until I found the warmest hands
Sleeping 'neath the stars many a night, thinking to myself...
"There must be someone out there"
Someone out there who will shelter me, care for me, and love me
Someone out there that is kind and thoughtful
Someone out there, for Christ sakes- that likes cats!
Well, my quest for finding love had finally come
And trust me, it was well worth the wait
When Ms. C brought me in,
I knew that I had finally found the "Purrfect" home
The unconditional love that she gives to me...
Wags my tail in motions that even I didn't know existed
Now, I look at those same stars at night, thinking to myself...
"It's so nice to be a cat"
I don't know if I will ever have nine lives
But one thing for certain is that I lived two
One very scary and lonely life...
And one very loving and beautiful life
All thanks, to Ms. C
And for her wonderful kindness...
To cats, like me
what we have heard inferred
this was the word which occurred
reassured could be cured
(with terror endured)
(while on trip we toured)
(while attending herd)
(mentioned by a bird)
(completely absurd)
(being a numb skull)
(said by when cat purred)
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