Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Cat 

Sebastian Correa

I 

The stealthy feline 

rises onto the table 

and sits in 

defiance. 

II 

Among the exceptional beasts,

the only one  that thinks

like a human 

is a cat.

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III 

Purring soft as 

katydid wings—

I fall asleep to 

a cats ruminations. 

IV 

The age-old question:

to love the servile sycophant of a dog?

Or the freethinking paws

of a cat? 

V

Silky slits for eye. 

impatient, cunning—

fangs of power—

the cat dominates, 

and I submit. 

We all submit. 

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VI

Dogs have pulled sleds,

hunted and done 

our dirty work, deeds:

to toil and sweat and die!

Cats have 

been god and goddesses, 

infallible ferocious felines—

free.

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VII

I love a cat 

because I love rebellion 

VIII

Somewhere 

an ecosystem is thriving.

The outdoor cat must be

slaughtering to change this fact 

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IX

A cat 

and independence 

are one. 

A cat and a lion and a tiger 

are one. 

A cat and a lion and a tiger 

and independence 

are one. 

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X

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Unfettered by rules 

of mere mortals

a cat plays 

with its prey. 

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XI

Bastest trumps Anubis 

Bastet so beautiful! 

Full breasts and knowledge— 

A cat is more a masterpiece 

than the pyramids of Giza 

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XII

The corpulent kitty

crashed

on the couch

its

capricious, captious claws,

alien eyes,

bewitching heart

decide

if you are worthy of love .

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XIII

The cat flicks its tail

and walks through the garden

into the opening

with a dead rodent in mouth,

which it drops near the front door—

it saunters back 

into the forest. 

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