POETRY MONTH DAY # 29 — ODE TO NED

§

"Today," says NaPoWriMo, "I challenge you to write a paean to the stalwart hero of your household: your pet." 

Sisu and Kiisa came into our lives a year and a half ago. Found them on the K.A.A.P. site on Facebook, a Kootenay-based animal rescue group. I'd been keeping an eye on their "looking for a home" posts for at least a year, and there was something about the face looking out at me; Sisu's, it turned out. Grey with the faintest of tabby markings. The other was full-on black. After a few day's deliberation (and being firm with the husband) we arranged to meet them. Imagine our surprise when Sisu came to greet us, all 21 pounds of him (9 ½ kg). Long story short, they moved in about a month later. It's an open adoption; before Covid their former family would drop in when they were back in Castlegar. Every now and then I send pictures and/or videos of cats being cute. It's what they do. We look forward to seeing the boys' boys once this social distancing thing calms down.

Sisu attempting to get all of himself into the patch of sunlight

Kiisa loves the Irish blankets that are usually found on my chair

The two of them, during an altercation

But a poem about them? I dunno. I sort of stopped writing cat poems after my first one which happened when I was in my early teens. It went something like this:

ODE TO NED

I turned the corner and there he lay

a little ball of white and grey

basking in a golden ray

of sun.

I wondered as I saw him there

what charms he held to make me care

thankful, I offered a little prayer

for Ned.

It truly worries me that I still remember that!

And here are a couple of pictures of the aforesaid Ned:

And I'm done. One more day in April! This was the longest, shortest, fastest, slowest month I've ever lived through. 

§