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 :-)

[LesliePurdy]

Yes you evil person, where's the stuff about your loves, you've read enough of mine, badamnnnn

[Suzy Hazelwood]

Haha!!! If that had been anyone else but you Leslie I would be tempted to say 'troll' but somehow you get away with calling me evil, and I'll always imagine you as PenelopePitstop saying it!! :oD

I do have a lovey dovey one - you looked in the wrong place -> http://www.writerscafe.org/writing/SuzyHazelwood/1542498/ is that love like enough? I have some more stashed away that I've written for my Tumblr blog and a WattPad story, so I'm sure there will be more to come!! :o) Good to find you here!

[LesliePurdy]

Spose I'll have to troll some stuff here then , won't I?

[Suzy Hazelwood]

Noooo, definitely not!! :oD

[LesliePurdy]

I meant more poetry, sorry if I've caused intense confusion.

[Suzy Hazelwood]

You always cause intense confusion, but that's what makes you so delightful. You are totally unique in that!♥

[LesliePurdy]

Tomorrow when I rub my neck for the final time , feeling the rope tighten upon my neck , I shall think of you as I swing my last.

[Suzy Hazelwood]

What the hell is that supposed to mean?!!

[Roland Petrov]

Oh my God, Leslie Purdy is here! Suddenly, I need to make a pit stop.

[Crystal Overmeyer-Birmi..]

Love this. I love that it makes you think about the assumptions that we make about people. Great writing!

[Suzy Hazelwood]

Thank you! :o) Yes, assumptions are not good at all, probably a bad habit for most of us. There will always be far more to every character than we see at first. The longer you know someone, the more they unfold like a good story, or in some cases - a bad one!

[Gee]

What a terrific read,I used to,like many others,on looks alone.Age kicks that out of you..

[Suzy Hazelwood]

Thank you very much! Haha...yes, age certainly does get you thinking in a different way!!

[Kelly Scheppers]

The scenario you created here gave an overwhelming feeling of humility, Suzy. I love how you depicted this woman, how her whole world revolved around the care and nurturing of her cats.

I felt something palpable when you articulated about the forty years it had been since he left her, without a word. And what a graphic!

A must for my library...outstanding work!

[Suzy Hazelwood]

Ah, well, forty years is a long time to wait, I'm sure many (women and men) have done that very thing. :o( And thank you so much Kelly, that's so kind of you!♥

Do we have library's on here? I know on Wattpad we can save favourite works into collections for others to look at if they wish. Do you have something like that on WritersCafe? Not totally familiar with everything yet!

[Kelly Scheppers]

Yes, there's a little square box in the upper right hand corner of each poem you post or read. Inside you will see eight icons you can click on...click on "my library" to save whatever poem you'd like! Let me know if you have any problems!

[Suzy Hazelwood]

I see it now!* I'm sure I looked at that before, but got sidetracked from that little useful box. Thank you for that Kelly!! :o)

[Kelly Scheppers]

...anytime! ; )

[Roland Petrov]

Thanks, Kelly! I'll have to explore the other seven icons now too.

[Relic]

So well written. Sorry I can't add more. Great work.

[Suzy Hazelwood]

That's okay, thank you, appreciate the feedback!!

[....................]

It's sad when people presume a person's worth when they in fact no nothing about them... there is a great lesson here, Suzy: we should love one another because one day we may be in need of love, more than we know... thank God for cats, dogs and all the other pest who remain loyal to us, even when the humans in our lives walk away... love the pic too :)

[Suzy Hazelwood]

It is sad, and yet it happens so often, I've even found myself making quick judgements on the way someone appears, but get to know the person, the surface flaws are more understood.

Don't think I could cope with pets in my tiny first floor flat now, but I'd love to have a cat, they are so cuddly and affectionate. I enjoy watching other owners cats on You Tube instead! :oD

[....................]

Smart... youtube cats are awesome... I have an eleven year old dog and he is a very loyal companion - sitting at my feet right now as I type... I think sometimes he knows me better than I know myself...

[Suzy Hazelwood]

Aahh, how lovely for you, and that is so true! Had a dog in the family when I was a child, she still makes me smile thinking about her today.

It's funny, I posted this one on another writers site a few months ago and two writers said the same to me, only with a cat sitting on their lap while making their comments. Obviously pets like to be involved in the commenting too! ;o)