I ... entered the poem of life, whose purpose is ... simply to witness the beauties of the world, to discover the many forms that love can take. (Barabara Blackman in 'Glass After Glass')

These poems are works in progress and may be updated without notice. Nevertheless copyright applies to all writings here and all photos (which are either my own or used with permission). Thank you for your comments. I read and appreciate them all, and reply here to specific points that seem to need it — or as I have the leisure. Otherwise I reciprocate by reading and commenting on your blog posts as much as possible.

28 June 2013

I Am the Cat


I am the cat
with silent eyes

I mark the fall of the leaf
and the grasses glistening

I listen to life
and death.

Life grieves
death leaps
outside

and both together breathe.

I sleep in the warm
inside.
I am tied to the loves of my house.

But sometimes
I come untied.

Wild in hail or rain
electric to thunder
voluptuous for sun

I am chameleon

old wise woman
the witch

and then
the child on your lap

I am a universe.
Cat.


© Rosemary Nissen 1981
from Universe Cat, Pariah Press (Melb.) 1985
First published Luna

 At Poets United this week, Kim at Verse First asks to write with omniscience. I'm cheating a bit, but this old poem — the title poem of my first book — is written from the viewpoint of a being who is certainly omniscient as well as everything else! 

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6 comments:

  1. Susan28 June 2013 at 21:57

    FUN! Yes! and I picture all of the art on this subject ... Cat, child, inner life.

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  2. moondustwriter29 June 2013 at 07:40

    much we can learn from the cat and its many lives

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  3. Dr. Pearl Ketover Prilik (PKP)29 June 2013 at 11:27

    Delight-FULL - <3

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  4. LaTonya Baldwin30 June 2013 at 03:32

    From line breaks, to action words and the rhythm- well done. I believe the device I'm looking for is assosance. Can't remember but I am very fond of sound devices even if I can't accurately identify them. I can hear and nothing is as beautiful as poetry read aloud.

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  5. Mary1 July 2013 at 05:47

    Rosemary, you really have characteized CAT well. They do have that omniscient feeling about them. As a young person I was always afraid of cats. Reason: My mother was petrified of them, and I took her fear as my own. I did find it eerie how intensely they stared at me, just watching kind of sphinxlike, it seemed. I did get over my fear as an adult, but I am VERY allergic to them so do not encourage their friendship. Smiles.

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  6. Unknown1 July 2013 at 15:20

    I think it is a perfect take on for omniscient. Well, i am not a cat person at all( a dog lover if i may say so) but i certainly enjoyed this.

    ReplyDelete

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