Feline Mystery

Sometimes, the mystery of a cat lies
in the luminescence of its eyes,
the blue, green or amber sparks
as it finds its way home in the dark.
At other times, it’s the touch of a whisker
as it passes by without a whisper.

Through an open window, there’s a whisper
of leaves in the willow, under which lies
my fastidious cat, cleaning her whiskers.
The green of the leaves reflects in her eyes
and a flicker of sunlight invades the dark
shadows, igniting her fur with a spark.

Sometimes, we catch a glimpse of their sparks,
their feline souls, when they purr and we whisper,
soothing in the tranquility of the dark.
We delight in the warmth of a cat as it lies
in our lap, the glow of the stare from its eyes,
and the contented quiver of its whisker.

In the middle of a dream, I’m woken by a whisker
tickling my face. I’m greeted by a spark
from a pair of luminous, unblinking eyes,
a velvet nose and a gentle whisper
of a purr that never tells me lies
or makes empty promises in the dark.

Sometimes, a cat crosses the street in the dark
and is missed by a vehicle, just by a whisker.
We’re grateful when we see that it lies
under a streetlight, lit by a spark
of luck, one of its nine lives. We whisper
our thanks, with tears in our eyes.

My cats are true friends, in my eyes;
they brighten my life whenever it’s dark
and come to me when I call or whisper,
with never a twitch of an ear or a whisker.
In my heart, my cats have ignited a spark
that burns with a love that never lies.

With their beautiful eyes and sensitive whiskers,
defying the dark and igniting a spark,
cats whisper love and never tell lies.

Kim M. Russell 29th August 2019

My response to dVerse Poets Pub Meeting the Bar: Homonyms – a help with forms

I missed Lillian’s Quadrille prompt on Monday and Anmol’s feline Poetics on Tuesday as I was still at my daughter’s on grandmother duty. I’d forgotten how exhausting an eighteen-month-old toddler can be and, when I got home, all I wanted to do was rest, but couldn’t because I had plenty to catch up on. However, today I made time to have another go at a sestina, which incorporates the Quadrille word (tranquility) and is about cats!

22 thoughts on “Feline Mystery”

  3. Nice take on the homonyms. I took that route too. An alternate title could be DOGS LIE–CAT’S DON’T. I never thought of that before; thanks.

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    1. Thank you, Sarah. I’ve been away too, looking after Lucas while Ellen and Steve decorate their new home and I have to go back on 12th September for the final push, as Ellen doesn’t want to do much work when they move in the following week. I can understand why – Lucas is into everything and is a fast mover, running, climbing and tripping all over the place, picking up everything with his little fingers! I
      So certain I returned in Tuesday, Mojo, our younger cat, has been very clingy, while Luna has been ignoring me!
      Have you been on holiday? I hope you’re relaxed, healthy and happy.

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    1. Thank you so much, Rosemary. I thought I would struggle today with keeping Luna in, so that I can take her to the vet this afternoon. She moaned and cried to go out at first, but now she’s asleep on the bed with Mojo! All I have to do now is get her into her basket and into the car, where she’ll cry all the way to the vet’s. It’s only for her yearly vaccination and check-up – she hates going in the car.

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