Fish-eyes ogles us, just to say
in that slippery longing way of his,
that sidelong gaping staring way,
‘I envy the cat that milady is.’
We ponder his liquid love, his fins,
and the way each turn makes him squirm and sink
in the tank (predicament for his sins?),
and we sit and groom ourself and think . . .
Can’t help but pity and love the poor
fish-eyes in turn; think biology,
its cycles, return of what’s been before,
carbon reclamation, and all that we,
with wizard knowledge, learned to admire
and along the way, to recognize
as an opportunity to acquire
matter remade thus if one only tries . . .
what we think is this: that a little fish
could become a cat, graceful, sleek and slim,
by means of becoming a dinner dish–
and on thinking that, we devour him.
Art-Colored Glasses 
This reminds me so much of Plato’s Republic, very possibly because I just finished examining it for school. We are all the cats on high and the fish in the tanks at some points in our lives, and the wisest among us can exist in both circumstances with open eyes and ceaseless curiosity. Also? I LOVE this image. Thanks so much for sharing it with us! Now, back to the books for me. =)
Thanks, darling, your visit leaves me purring! 🙂
Yet more clever verse, wonderfully illustrated. This one does hit a little close to home, a case of art imitating life. I once had 3 cats and 2 marine tanks, one a 55 gallon reef tank. The story doesn’t end well for the reef tank…
Sounds like a post just *begging* to be written over in Bartolini-land! 😉
I love this so much – beautiful words and as for that drawing – the perfect stillness of the cat just sitting, watching, waiting…..
*Just* before the leaping, nabbing, chomping . . . 🙂
Love this poem… 🙂
I’ll bet you’ve known a clever cat or two in your life, then. 😉
Simply wonderful!
😀 Thank you!
How very cleverly you weave word and image Kathryn!
This is one of those relatively rare sets where I did the illustration specifically for the poem–and did both within the last couple of weeks. 🙂
*gobble gobble*
Justification at its finest! Devouring the fish for its own good. That’s food for thought indeed. 🙂
Wonderful poem and illustration!
Though I would *never* stick a subtext of human political or social commentary into a silly little poem about kitties and fishes, no never! 😉
Your title started me out feeling fine, and I felt that way all the way to the final end, thank you very much.
You’re most welcome!
Love,
Kat
Here, kitty, kitty, kitty. Don’t lean over that river in keen anticipation, as there are fish in there who think kitties are for eatin’…
You’re a most entertaining poet, you are. Meow!!!
I hear some of the bass in the lakes around here are big enough to eat a cat, but that *might* just be one of those Texas tall tales! And, ironically perhaps, I *have* seen *catfish* big enough to eat not only the kitty but the pier she’s standing on if she isn’t careful. 🙂
A fishy story…a catty one…and a greatly entertaining one too!
So glad you enjoyed it, my dear Bardess!
what a good concept!!!! it looks like the cats is having his own reflection !!!!.. ^_^ love it!!!!
Most cats I know do think pretty often (and pretty highly) of themselves! 😉
I believe that you may have stepped into the cat’s mind here, Kathryn. You are so doggone (or should I say catgone?) astute!
So. I got my sketchbook, got my sharpener, got out my pencils. Then promptly got “drawer’s block” and have been reading, reading, reading instead – Catherine the Great was so very interesting!
Well, she was a Great Cat too, no? The drawing will come when it’s good and ready.