For The Love Of A Cat

The old woman who lives next door

she asked about you today

she guessed you'd gone

she knows

our world has broken

She heard voices raised

the slam of the door

and me

wailing in the hall

at this s****y hollow life

You thought she was mad

an old w***e

self obsessed

with flea ridden cats

because you

never took the time

to discover the woman

She told me

he left forty years today

without a word

slammed the door

the same as you

she waited

and waited

in the company of cats

waited for him

Cats are her love

she cares

and they adore her

Isn't love

all that matters

even if

it's only a cat

who loves you?

And if every person

you'd ever known

turned the other way

wouldn't you also

be grateful

for the love of a cat?

Author's Note

The heading picture is of a lovely lady from Japan called Misao with her handsome cat Fukumaru. You can see more beautiful images of them living a happy life together here -> http://www.nippon.com/en/images/i00014/

Please note: The poem is not about Misao. Inspired by something entirely different.

Reviews

[alifeacoustic]

Love, the same as trust, makes no divide upon the species. They are given completely, to those deserving of them. I love what you say in this, about not taking the time to get to know the old woman. We are too judgemental for our own good, but never stop to think that others may be too, about us. Of course the old lady has a story, she didn't get to be an old lady without one. Maybe we should be in less of a rush to judge and less of a rush when we can take time to make their day and hear some of the story.
Very thought provoking words, beautifully created.

[Suzy Hazelwood]

Thank you so much, and for all your other comments too!! I think we all have a tendency to judge on appearances at first glance, it's something we learn from others. And it takes a lot of new thinking to erase that kind of response. We are all going to be old one day.. I feel it creeping! I love to look at old photos of people when they were young, it reminds me that beauty fades, people change, but inside, they are the same person they've always been. There was a man on another writers site who followed me over to Facebook very recently, I don't know him very well, but have had a few conversations with him in a philosophical way - he's a great philosopher! He has a round face, bushy white beard and hair, (not that different from santa!) when I saw his Facebook page, there was a black and white picture of him - the most beautiful teenage boy I've ever seen - I almost cried! That is what this poem is about. People, no matter how they come across, there is someone inside who matters. No-one is irrelevant.

[alifeacoustic]

Very well said indeed. No one is irrelevant at all :-)

[LapseOfMind]

I really enjoyed this. Words of wisdom sprinkled in with a lesson to learn. Well done!

[Suzy Hazelwood]

Thank you very much!! :o)

[VALORMORE DE PLUME]

This is a delightful sentiment, and nicely delivered. One cat lover to annother.

[Suzy Hazelwood]

Another cat lover! I do love cats, even though I don't actually have any these days...they make me laugh! Thank you very much Valormore!

[VALORMORE DE PLUME]

You are welcome.

[Deepak Belbase]

The cat tale, a wonderful thing that make our life in track. our faithful friends never leave us even on their last time.

[Suzy Hazelwood]

They can be very faithful, but sometimes they do wander off for company of others, that's nature of cats, they like affection, and I don't think they mind too much who loves them and feeds them! :o)

[LesliePurdy]

Yes oh yes , I like this work, but I'll have to look out for the SSSSSHHHH'Russian spy'.

[Suzy Hazelwood]

Thank you Leslie! Maybe the Russian spy could be the old woman with the cats? You never know! Mm...but why do spy's always have to be Russian? Don't you find that ridiculous? I'm sure they come from else where as well.

[LesliePurdy]

Roland is definitely a Russian spy , I thought that you knew that from Jottify.

[MetalLadybird]

I think I've done this wrong-I've written what I thought was a review, now this is asking for a review so I'll post this and see if my review appears! I really should read instructions before doing things

[Suzy Hazelwood]

You obviously got it right. I really hope there aren't hidden Gremlins on this site - nooo, not that again!!!

[MetalLadybird]

I read the censored words piece first Suzy-how odd! But the words aren't blocked out here and I really enjoyed this.
I love what you've done here, you've looked underneath the exterior of apparent 'mad' people. Let's not judge the mad old cat ladies, maybe they've decided cats are better than bad romance or who knows, cats are solace for some other tragedy? And it isn't mad to love so much no one else will do and you'll wait for years. I can recommend a book-The Good Women of China -by Xinran. There's an amazing story of a woman waiting for her lover for years after they got separated during the Communits era.
The way you link this with another romance breaking up is really cleverly done and you weave the two stories together skillfully.
Your poem has prompted me to reflect on the nature of cats and of love. A cat chooses to return to its home every day (well outdoor cats-not sure about indoor cats!) and doesn't ask much from an owner. Their independence and refusal to be anything but proud and independent is a good thing. Cats don't beg for food, they demand it as their right-even at their most pleading they still let you know they aren't going to be subservient and needy. We should all be like that, we don't need to be grateful for love, we deserve it.So this is the message I take from your poem.

[Suzy Hazelwood]

No the words are only blocked if you're not signed in, which is a bit weird! :oI Ah yes, under the mad exterior there is always a real person. I was talking to a friend about that today, about how a lot of people who seem on the surface mad, weren't like that all their life. I've witnessed massive swings of character in my own family and extended family for various reasons and it's all very different when you know the person, and know their background. The stranger is always just a mad old git of course!! ;o)

I love the sound of the book. Just had a sneak preview on Amazon and I love the way it's written. I'm a fussy old reader, I like books that really draw me in and that appears to have it. I've bookmarked to get back to - could be a good read, thanks very much my Lady!!

Oh, very interesting! It is true that cats are not subservient, and often bold about needing attention and food. I shall remember that, next time I'm feeling needy and wishing to be loved, I'll swish my hair around and say confidently "Because I'm worth it!" :oD

It's true though, we shouldn't feel 'grateful' for a little bit of love and attention. Thank you for that very thoughtful comment, and so good to see you here treasured Ladybird! :o)

[Suzy Hazelwood]

P.S.
It seems even the Ood know about being worth it! ;o) http://suzyhazelwood.tumblr.com/post/95224192565

[Roland Petrov]

It's a really good poem through the line "waited for him"; after that, it's like "here's the Sunday school lesson". To top it off, we don't even know if cats love us; they may prefer to torture and eat us, but we're just too big. This poem is so good, Suzy, I urge you to keep it that way and axe the last three verses.

[Suzy Hazelwood]

I can see what you mean Roland, from the line 'waited for him' I have written the poem quite differently, and it could almost be two separate poems. The first three stanzas alone would make a good poem ( I agree) but a very different one and may not say quite enough. I posted this on Tumblr and Hello poetry and other writers really seemed to connect greatly to the idea of an old woman with just the company of cats. Maybe because to some extent they were like that themselves (they were cat owners who felt honestly loved by their cats - illusion or not!) So, I'd be a little reluctant to change what appears to be a subject that many identify with. This was written for the character I write about on my Tumblr blog which is the same character I am creating the novella for on Wattpad and (originally on Jottify). The cat loving old woman (may) become part of the story. But what I could do is review, edit, and try leave some of the Sunday school lesson out of it! ;o)

On the subject of cats and if they are capable of loving their owners - that's a debate that will probably never end, like trying to prove if there's a God or an after life.

I do feel often cats and also other pets are just making the best of what they have, and if someone the other end of their street feeds and adores them better, they could quite likely move in with them - and they do!

When I refer to love in this poem, it doesn't necessarily have to mean 'true love' just whatever most cats and their owners see as love, which could be quite selfish really. But if it's all you have - in most cases it will do nicely.

The older I get the more I'm convinced that just like cats, most humans are incapable of and don't have a clue what love is either and are living with human partners/wives/husbands in much the same self centred way as a cat would - and they call it love. I include myself in that illusion - as I'm not sure I know or feel what I thought I felt many years ago.

Does any living human or creature really know love? So maybe I need to clarify in a different way exactly what kind of emotional state I'm talking about in this poem. I shall give it a great deal of thought, thanks for pointing that out! :o)

[Roland Petrov]

I'm not sure how to award a comment, but the insight you show here deserves a 100/100! My own sister is proof that the perceived love of cats will do nicely. My mother is proof that loving an imaginary friend will do nicely. Your third paragraph made me laugh, but it's so true. I suppose that life on this planet in general is just trying to make the best of what it has. And what we have can often be just amazing. Yes, you really do have two poems here, and there are three good ways to dish them up, and I bet you'd get a good response on the other two ways as well.

[Suzy Hazelwood]

Thanks for 100/100 for the comment! :oD

I have also known humans who have moved into the house at the end of the street because they got more attention, better food...and other things! ;o)

I do like cats, but I'm not into them as pets - too much loose hair! So maybe I could try the imaginary friend thing. I had a few invisible ones when I was very little - I could revive them in my illusionary middle aged mind?!!

[LesliePurdy]

Ah Ah there is a Russian perplexicotiliouslyfriendly rabbit , of which you'll find hiding in your thoughts.

[Roland Petrov]

Penelope's here with a new word: perplexicotiliously. Well done, Penelope; this one's hot!

[Nadia Gerassimenko]

It's easy to look at a person physically and judge them, pity them, laugh at them. We don't even give it a second thought to actually peer through their soul, see what they have gone through. This is a wonderful write, with a deep and wise message. If I were completely alone, I would feel so happy to just have a kitty who loves me unconditionally.

[Suzy Hazelwood]

We are acutely visually aware, which is probably a natural survival instinct for one reason or another, but it can so easily become warped that we're not seeing reality, we only see a portion of it, and underlying fear can have a lot to do with that.

Thank you so much Nadia! I don't have pets now because I live in a first floor flat which is far from ideal for cats or dogs, but I would love one too!! :o)

[Bear]

Well crafted and emotionally moving, your captured the emptiness one world feel in this situation and gave it to anyone who reads this poem and that is hard to do. Bravo! You are a true word mistress.

[Suzy Hazelwood]

Thank you kindly! Word mistress - I've never been called that before, that's quite amusing!!