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Friday, April 27, 2012

Good things and Not so good

       Today on PBS, near the end of poetry month, they showed an interview with the United States poet laureate Philip Levine with the British poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy.  It is brief, but great to see.  You can find it here.





Someone’s cat
lay at the side of the road
on my way to work this morning.
He was curled like his brothers,
seemed comfortable in his sleep.

I wondered if someone’s hand
missed that soft grey fur,
if someone’s lap missed his warmth.
I imagine the bowl of cream
sitting in the kitchen
untouched.

I hear the voice call for him
out the back door.
“He’s always been there before.”

But if no one is
waiting,
calling,
crying,
then I will give a thought to this grey cat,
and grieve his passing.




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         Be sure to read about  a poetry month CHALK POEM finale that Betsy of Teaching Young Writers is hosting on April 30th.  Come join us!

           Activities still are happening in these final days of Poetry Month. The last lines of the kidlit Progressive Poem can be found through the links on the right. Find Jama Rattigan's blog post at Jama's Alphabet Soup  to discover other Poetry sites in the kidlitosphere doing wonderful things!  Cathy, at Merely Day By Day, is joining Mary Lee, at A Year of Reading in a poem a day this month. Other daily poem writers include Amy at The Poem FarmDonna at Mainely Write, and Laura at LauraSalas.  Plus Greg Pincus of Gotta Book has just published his first E-book, The Late Bird.  


photo credit: caterpiya via photo pin cc

19 comments:

  1. awww that is a sad one. So many pets go by the way of the roadside. I have loved your poetry this month.
    Tammy

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    1. Thanks Tammy. Though sad, it is one I just had to write because it happened. Hope you have a good weekend!

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  2. Sadness. But your memorial, your honoring of the cat's life helps somehow. You noticed and marked Cat's passing. RIP, Kitty.

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  3. I always think about that when I see a cat that's gotten hit by a car. I love cats! Very nice poem...sad but pretty common sight.

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    1. We've lost one cat in our family to the street, so I have such fondness for the owner (if there is one) whenever I see one that has died.

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  4. A thoughtful "thought" for the passed kitten.

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  5. So sad but I always say a little prayer for the animals that have gotten hit and are laying by the roadside.

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  6. This poem brought tears to my eyes. Less than a month ago, we had to have my cat Abby--who was gray and white--put to sleep. I was away from home at the time and couldn't be with her when she took her last breath. I miss her company...her curling at my side when I read the newspaper in the morning...her sitting on the chair beside me when I work at my computer...her snuggling close to me in bed.

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    1. Thank you Elaine, I'm sorry about your dear pet. They are so missed I realize, hence my feelings in the poem.

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  7. Thank you for paying tribute to the cat at the side of the road.

    When I see a rabbit or cat lying at the side of the road, I repeat a quotation from Watership Down -- "My heart has joined the Thousand, my friend stopped running today."

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    1. Oh, I don't remember that from the book; it's been a while. But I love the book & have taught it to my students occasionally. Thank you Beth for reminding me.

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  8. Thank you for sharing this lovely tribute, Linda. Like Katherine, I say a prayer each time I see an animal by the side of the road.

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    1. Every time, I feel a lump in my throat, Robyn. Thank you for sharing that you do, too.

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  9. So special for the deceased Kitty...I am sad for all animals that are hit by cars etc. We see a lot of this in the suburban/rural areas near us...It breaks my heart. You write such beautiful poetry Linda! Thank you for always sharing your talent!

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    1. Thank you Amy. It is sad, & always surprising that so many are out there free! I wish people would keep their pets in.

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