‘Smudge’
is our cat,
a smart one at that
Devon Rex is her pedigree.
She once was called 'Gremlin',
but she paid no attention
So we changed her name, you see.
She hasn’t much hair,
but we don’t care
It’s in her genes you know.
She’s not what you’d call pretty,
but that’s not a pity
‘Cause she really loves us so.
She gets up in the morning,
with daybreak dawning
And flies around too fast to mention.
Thinking her job is to wake us,
then she will make us
Get up and give her all our attention.
With food in her tummy,
that’s really quite yummy
She cleans herself with great fervour.
Now that she’s fed,
there’s the day stretched ahead,
To be filled with delights of all manner
At my desk sitting quietly,
when something flew by me
leaping wildly across the floor.
Smudge opened one eye,
the thing she did spy
And clamped it securely under her paw.
I got up and chased her,
but she was much faster
We sprinted all round the house.
I finally caught her
and then did discover
Her quarry was a poor wee mouse.
Mouse wasn’t too joyful
at being a mouthful
Of Smudge’s new found diversion.
She’d let him escape some,
then curbed his freedom
Mousey judged Smudge with total aversion.
With his little heart pounding
and my yelling sounding
Like his life was over for sure.
I got Smudge by the head,
“Drop him!” I said,
Seizing his tail tossed him out of the door.
Now Smudge thought that crappy
and was none to happy
At my spoiling her afternoon pleasure.
She miaowed and she mewed,
saying I was quite rude
With a look of disgust for good measure!
The excitement all done,
I’d spoiled her fun
And I just knew she was going to repay me.
As I sat on a chair
she leaped in the air
Claws out! She aimed straight for my knee!
I screamed with such fright,
to her great delight,
But the pain eventually diminished
She curled herself round,
till comfort she found
Her playtime for now had just finished.
She purred in contentment,
no clinging resentment
That’s not one of her features,
All was forgiven,
she knew I was driven
By my need to save all of God’s creatures.
J.M. Furner
Created 10 May 2000