Haiku is an unrhymed verse form of Japanese origin having three lines containing usually 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively. Uniquely Japanese, they somehow seem utterly appropriate for felines — indeed, one could almost imagine them being a cat’s preferred form of communication!
The food in my bowl
Is old, and more to the point
Contains no tuna.
—-
So you want to play.
Will I claw at dancing string?
Your ankle’s closer.
—-
There’s no dignity
In being sick – which is why
I don’t tell you where.
—-
Seeking solitude
I am locked in the closet.
For once I need you.
—-
Tiny can, dumped in
Plastic bowl. Presentation,
One star; service: none.
—-
Am I in your way?
You seem to have it backwards:
This pillow’s taken.
—-
Your mouth is moving;
Up and down, emitting noise.
I’ve lost interest.
—-
The dog wags his tail,
Seeking approval. See mine?
Different message.
—-
My brain: walnut-sized.
Yours: largest among primates.
Yet, who leaves for work?
—-
Most problems can be
Ignored. The more difficult
Ones can be slept through.
—-
My affection is conditional.
Don’t stand up,
It’s your lap I love.
—-
Cats can’t steal the breath
Of children. But if my tail’s
Pulled again, I’ll learn.
—-
I don’t mind being
Teased, any more than you mind
A skin graft or two.
—-
So you call this thing
Your “cat carrier.” I call
These my “blades of death.”
(HT: Dan Phillips)
