Poetry From Scratch

Poetry from Scratch
A Kitten’s Book of Verse

Jennifer McCartney
The Countryman Press, 2016

From the back of the book, “Poems by cats. About cats and things that cats care about. Cats. They’re temperamental and aloof. They don’t come when they’re called. They don’t fetch balls. They scorn any attempt at love and affection. So is it any wonder that cats are terrific poets? Here you’ll find both angst and attitude, humor and hubris, with poems like “Feed Me”:

I’d like to file a formal complaint:
(The Ritz this certainly ain’t)
My dish has been bare
Since nine past a hair!
Madam, soon I’ll lose all restraint.

“This collection of purr-ty good poetry offers something for every cat lover.”

Ha, ha!!! So funny – these poems are great. I wish I had written them because the author has captured the feline so perfectly in her poetry (actually, the cat’s poetry dictated to their human secretary). There’s haiku:

Haiku of Shame
 
Returned from the vet
Plastic cone embarrassment
Please, please kill me now

There’s also classic poetry as it was originally written before being stolen by humans:

O Captain! My Captain!
 
O Captain! My Captain!
Our fearful trip to the vet is done:
My body has weather’d every shot,
the prize you sought is won;
The house is near, the birds I hear,
The neighbor’s dog exulting.
While follow eyes the steady keep,
this Honda Vessel grim and daring:
                But O scratch! Scratch! Scratch!
                         O the bleeding drops of red,
                                Where o’er the steering wheel my Captain lies,
                                    Fallen cold and dead.
As punishment.
For taking me to the vet.

Funny, right? And so true. If only I could get out of the pet carrier!

Rating 5 out of 5 – Accompanying the outstanding poems are wonderful pictures of cats and kittens, mostly tabbies, but beautiful nonetheless!!

Reviewer:

Jack