On Being Bart
Mew won’t knock anything onto the floor.
He doesn’t play games; rarely stares out the door.
He’ll climb down a cat tree but never climb up.
Though they keep their distance, he still scares our pup
(who’s a sweetheart, but learned from our previous cat
that a feline will scratch your nose, so, That was That).
He doesn’t play games; rarely stares out the door.
He’ll climb down a cat tree but never climb up.
Though they keep their distance, he still scares our pup
(who’s a sweetheart, but learned from our previous cat
that a feline will scratch your nose, so, That was That).
We don’t know his age, but he’s clearly not young;
he was found in the street, looking like he was flung
from a car through the air—some patches were bare,
leaving parts of one side and his tail without hair.
he was found in the street, looking like he was flung
from a car through the air—some patches were bare,
leaving parts of one side and his tail without hair.
Our vet’s son had found him and took him to mom
(she’s our own daughter’s mentor) who asked with aplomb
whether we’d take him in since he had FIV
(it’s contagious to other cats, not you and me).
(she’s our own daughter’s mentor) who asked with aplomb
whether we’d take him in since he had FIV
(it’s contagious to other cats, not you and me).
We agreed since our previous cat passed away
just a few months before, and though Mew was a stray
he was clearly not feral; he stumbled toward us
for attention and comfort without any fuss.
just a few months before, and though Mew was a stray
he was clearly not feral; he stumbled toward us
for attention and comfort without any fuss.
Since he had no collar and hadn’t been chipped,
his name wasn’t known, so he wasn’t equipped
with a handle to call him (though he doesn’t care,
he responds to his name as if he isn’t there).
his name wasn’t known, so he wasn’t equipped
with a handle to call him (though he doesn’t care,
he responds to his name as if he isn’t there).
The vet called him Sunny, his orange tabby coat,
matted, tangled, and dirty, still seemed to promote
affirmations of hope he’d recover and thrive
and though all skin and bones, seeming barely alive
with the thyroid and heart troubles they diagnosed
nonetheless he was still somewhat more than a ghost.
matted, tangled, and dirty, still seemed to promote
affirmations of hope he’d recover and thrive
and though all skin and bones, seeming barely alive
with the thyroid and heart troubles they diagnosed
nonetheless he was still somewhat more than a ghost.
Still, he needed a monicker of the pet sort:
SimpSunny, BartholoMew.
Mewie, for short.
SimpSunny, BartholoMew.
Mewie, for short.
Author: Ken Gosse
Photo Credit: Jude Mack on Unsplash
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