TYLER, by Mollie Hunt
He is a long cat
with long legs,
with a long back
and a long tail.
His face has grown long, as old cats do.
His ears are long to twitch and turn
and tune to the slightest whisper.
His whiskers— long— are both
black
and
white,
matching the gray-black stripes of his sideburns.
His life has been long,
eighteen years
according to his teeth
which are gone now.
Still, he dances like a kitten,
sharing his sweet self
with those who love him.
Against the odds,
I wish him with me
for a long time more.
Winner: Certificate of Excellence, CWA 2017-2018
About Mollie Hunt:
Mollie is the author of the Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery series, featuring Lynley Cannon, a sixty-something cat shelter volunteer who finds more trouble than a cat in catnip. Mollie is a member of the Oregon Writers’ Colony, Sisters in Crime, Willamette Writers, the Cat Writers’ Association, and the Northwest Independent Writers Association. Two of her short cat stories have been published in anthologies, one of which, The Dream Spinner, won the prestigious CWA Muse Medallion this year. Her poem, Tyler, also won a medallion.
Like Lynley, Mollie is a grateful shelter volunteer. She is a longtime volunteer for the Oregon Humane Society where she socializes sad, fearful, and behavior-challenged cats. She also fosters sick and elderly cats in her home. In 2014, she had the privilege to work with cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy on a particularly thought-provoking case.
You can find Mollie on her Website: http://www.lecatts.wordpress.com/, her Amazon Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/molliehunt, and her Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/MollieHuntCatWriter/.
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I’m hoping you get your wish!
Thank you. Me too.
A beautiful poem, Molly!
Thank you, Lavinia.
What wonderful poetry, Mollie! It captures beautiful Tyler so well. Older kitties are such sweethearts! Hoping you have a lot more time with him.
So far, all good!
Lovely poem!
Thanks.
lovely piece
Thank you.
What a lovely poem that says exactly what I feel about our cat … & felt for our 19 year old Max, whom we lost 2 years ago. I wish we could have kept him longer.
Yes, I understand.
Such a heartfelt poem which I could totally relate to with my boy. No matter what happens we will always have a special place in our hearts for our gorgeous kitties. x?????