Catfish or cats?
Seeing Zero by her plate today
sitting as close as she physically could
her head flung up appealingly
was of course irresistible
but reminded me sharply
of another cat
in the same kitchen
twenty-five years ago
Poupousse
named for yet another cat
who knocked over a vase
deliberately
to spite an intruder
(my mother-in-law)
while her human was out of the room
our Poupousse was a greedy cat
or rather she took a simple joy
in a plate of food
that look of sublime satisfaction
as she tucked in
was really something to see
and the constant peevish attempts
to interrupt her
by head boy cat Ilya
were impatiently swatted away
her earlier identity had been as Mitzi
living over the fence
with a young family
of importunate children
so she peddled her papers elsewhere
we knocked on doors
up and down the street
to find out where she came from
but it never occurred to us
to try one street over
till one of the family
walking by
years later
spotted her lying in our front yard
double identities
pulling up stakes
and shifting to richer ground
are second nature to our furry friends
we call such people
grifters tricksters identity thieves
perhaps we should just call them cats?
Jack Ross
Jack Ross is the author of six poetry collections, four novels, and five books of short fiction, most recently Haunts (2024). He lives with his wife, crafter and art-writer Bronwyn Lloyd, in Mairangi Bay, on Auckland’s North Shore.
NZ Poetry Shelf 