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Not all poems represent real cats, Some describe imaginary cats, others are inspired by bits and pieces of happenings extracted from my memory banks Sometimes ideas are affected by the still small voice that speaks from within. There are many ways the muse can present itself, allowing the opportunity to communicate at various levels. Poetry usually speaks directly to the emotions and sometimes to the mind. There are poems that teach without being obvious and others that paint pictures with words
I do imbue my cats with a certain semblance of humanity even though I realize that they are not at all human. Love, of course, is universal in all species of life as are the feelings of pain, fear, and joy. Cats have their own societies and affairs as we do. They have chosen to coexist in this world with us for their own reasons. I am also sure that they understand us far more than we are able to comprehend them.
The poem “To Another Life” expresses the ability to be able to act upon the extreme restlessness that most of us have felt, the longing to leave behind duty, responsibility, and a conforming existence. If this is not possible still the avenue of imagination lies open to exploration and adventure. “To Another Life” also suggests that the wakeful reality we experience is merely a dream state and that in sleep another reality can be accessed which is perhaps the true one..
The cat Bernie on the back cover of the book was the only cat who would sit with me through multiple camera flashes. I asked this of him and he complied unlike certain others who often demonstrate their contempt of simple requests. His real name is Bernard, but to have called him that would have created confusion with a person mostly around carrying the same name. Bernie was an outdoor cat and he showed up not long after Futie passed into the light. During that summer on lazy afternoons I used to sit in a white resin chair by my front steps watching traffic and people, whatever and whoever happened by, human or otherwise.
Gradually I became aware of a cat coming into the yard and sitting down by the bushes. He began to approach closer and as the days continued he started lying down by my chair. He was probably watching somewhere up the street and when I would come out he would run across the neighbors front lawns to be with me. After a while my inner knowing told me that Futie had called him to come to me and there would be a sign to prove this. I determined to take him in and told him to be at the steps the next morning. He was there waiting but an unexpected emergency prevented me from taking him then and as I drove off he had the most crestfallen and sad expression. That night I called him telepathically and the next morning I scooped him into the carrier to go to the vet. Upon his return, he was immediately accepted by the group. Several days later I found him dragging his body across the floor. He had been brought down by a bad virus and l06 fever. For two weeks he took his medicine and rested in the bathroom, the only isolation room available at the time. He developed a lifelong affinity for the bathroom sink where he still occasionally naps. Futie had a black mark on his mouth and Bernie has the same marking. Neither of them had any other black fur on them and neither of them resembled any of the other cats, and as Futie said, he wasn’t always neutered and in his younger days fathered some beautiful kittens, therefore Bernie was his descendant. Do cats speak? During your quiet times, listen. Be open to them. Mind pictures, sudden intuitions, thoughts seemingly yours, who knows what may appear. Just don’t think too much about it, just do it. Your friends will be very happy that you are interested in hearing what they have to say. On to chapter four...
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