The End of the Raven

On a night quite unenchanting,
When the rain was downward slanting,
I awakened to the ranting of the man I catch mice for.
Tipsy and a bit unshaven,
In a tone I found quite craven,
Poe was talking to a Raven perched above the chamber door.
"Raven's very tasty," thought I, as I tiptoed o'er the floor,
"There is nothing I like more"

Soft upon the rug I treaded,
calm and careful as I headed
Towards his roost atop that dreaded bust of Pallas I deplore.
While the bard and birdie chattered,
I made sure that nothing clattered,
Creaked, or snapped, or fell, or shattered, as I crossed the corridor;
For his house is crammed with trinkets, curios and wierd decor -
Bric-a-brac and junk galore.

Still the Raven never fluttered,
Standing stock-still as he uttered,
In a voice that shrieked and sputtered his two cents' worth -
"Nevermore."
While this dirge the birdbrain kept up,
Oh, so silently I crept up,
Then I crouched and quickly lept up, pouncing on the feathered bore.
Soon he was a heap of plumage, and a little blood and gore -
Only this and not much more.

"Oooo!" my pickled poet cried out,
"Pussycat, it's time I dried out!
Never sat I in my hideout talking to a bird before;
How I've wallowed in self-pity,
While my gallant, valiant kitty
Put and end to that damned ditty" - then I heard him start to snore.
Back atop the door I clambered, eyed that statue I abhor,
Jumped - and smashed it on the floor.

~Edgar Allen Poe~

Why Own a Cat?

There's a danger you know.
You can't own just one, for the craving will grow.
There's no doubt they're addictive, wherein lies the danger
While living with lots, you'll grow poorer and stranger
One cat is not trouble, and two are so funny,
The third one is easy, the fourth one's a honey
The fifth is delightful, the sixth ones's a breeze.
You find you can live with a houseful, with ease.
So how 'bout another? Would you really dare?
They're really quite easy, but Oh Lord, the hair!
With cats on the sofa and cats on the bed,
And crates in the kitchen, its no bother, you said.
They're really no trouble, their manners are great.
What's just one more cat and one more little crate?
The sofa is hairy, the windows are crusty.
The floor is all footprints, the furniture's dusty.
The housekeeping suffers, but what do you care?
Who minds a few noseprints and a little more hair?
So let's keep a kitten, you can always find room.
And a little more time for the dust cloth and broom.
There's hardly a limit to the cats you can add
the thought of a cutback, sure makes you feel sad.
Each one is special, so useful, so funny,
The food bill grows larger, you owe the vet money.
Your folks never visit, few friends come to stay,
Except other cat folks, who live the same way.
Your lawn has now died and your shrubs are dead, too.
Your weekends are busy, you're off with your crew.
There's cat food and vitamins, grooming and shots
And entries and travel and motels, which cost lots.
Is it worth it you wonder? Are you caught in a trap?
Then that favorite comes up and climbs in your lap.
His look says you're special and you know that you will
Keep all of the kittens in spite of the bill.
Some just for showing and some just to breed
And some just for loving, they all fill a need.
Late evening is awful, you scream and you shout
At the cats on the sofa, who refuse to get up.
The cats and the cat shows, the travel, the thrills
The work and the worry, the pressure, the bills.
The Whole thing seems worth it, the cats are your life.
They're charming and funny and offset the strife.
Your lifestyle has changed, things just won't be the same.
Yes, those cats are addictive and so's the cat game!

~Author Unknown~

This Old Cat

I'm getting on in years,
My coat is turning grey.
My eyes have lost their luster,
my hearing's just okay.
I spend my whole day dreaming
of conquests in my past,
lying near a sunny window.
Waiting for its warm repast.
I remember our first visit,
I was coming to you free,
hoping you would take me in
and keep me company.
I wasn't young or handsome,
two years I'd roamed the street.
There were scars upon my face,
I hobbled on my feet.
I could sense your disappointment
as I left my prison cage.
Oh , I hoped you would accept me
and look beyond my age.
you took me out of pity,
I accepted without shame.
Then you grew to love me,
and I admit the same.
I have shared with you your laughter,
You have wet my fur with tears.
We've come to know each other
Throughout these many years.
Just one more hug this morning
Before you drive away,
And know I'll think about you
Throughout your busy day.
The time we've left together
Is a treasured time at that.
My heart is yours forever.
I promise . . . This Old Cat.

~Author Unknown~

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm mad as a hatter
When I tell you a cat must have
THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there's the name
that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George, Bill Bailey --
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names
if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames;
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter --
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you,
a cat needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers,
or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo or Coricopat
Such as Bambalurina or else Jellylorum --
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond
there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you will not guess;
The name no human research can discover --
But the CAT HIMSELF KNOWS,
and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same.
His mind is engaged in rapt contemplation
Of the thought,
Of the thought,
Of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular name.

~T. S. Eliot~
(The Naming of Cats)