Feline

In the dim light

he is hard to see,

the tawny tiger

resting in the height

of the shadowy green

in the sly dark.

Though his face is dark,

his eyes gleam light

not yellow but green,

and I know he can see

where I try to hide,

my fabulous tiger.

And I can see, against the green

of the bedroom chair in which he hides,
my cat in the dark with eyes of light.

April Poem A Day Challenge, day 13: an animal poem. Suggestion: use a sestina. As I am having an insanely busy April, I opted for a mini-sestina, a form devised by Aussie poet Myron Lysenko.

The Gift of Feathers

She gets it wrong sometimes, my little cat,

although she reads my mind with perfect ease.

Like, once I found a feather at my door;

a friend said my late husband left it there,

a sign of love from Spirit — I was glad

to think he might have left me such a token.

She must have thought that if a single token

so gladdened me, then she, efficient cat,

could find a gift to make me tenfold glad —

and she could manage that with feline ease

as soon as opportunity was there.

Next day I found a whole bird at my door.

Oh, I was ill at ease and far from glad

to find it there, that corpse outside my door!

Yet it betokened all her love ... dear cat.


This mini-sestina form is the brain-child of Australian poet Myron Lysenko, 
though he suspects he is not the first to make such an adaptation.

This poem is submitted for Poets United's Poetry Pantry #141