A Word In Your Shellhole! (For Lyn) Poem by Dónall Dempsey

“The trouble
with you humans is...”

said the cat

“...speaking as a cat
that is...is...

“...is...your god damn
human-centred epistemological view of things.”

To think
I had just fed him!

And now
this!

“You think the sun
shines out of your derriere
my son! ”

“And that, in my humble opinion
(as a cat)

is where
you go wrong! ”

“I blame your bloody mindedness
& your bloody pronouns…me! ”

(Oh great not only a talking cat
but with a Yorkshire accent)

“I...this! ”


“I...that! ”

“You
are all
me...me...me! ”

“Humans!
A one note samba! ”

I was speechless
the kitty foil tray still in my hand! ”

“Now, if...let’s see
you could see

a tree how a tree
sees itself

you wouldn’t treat it
as just any old thing! ”

“To you everything
(and this to me is the human disease)
is just that

...a thing! ”

“Just things
a prop in the play

starring you
as your Self! ”

“Yet to a tree(say)
you are just another thing

(an annoying bloody thing)


from a tree’s
point of view

you are
a demon! ”

“Speaking(as a cat)
which I am &
proud of it

from what
I’ve seen

I fear I feel I find I’d have to
agree with him! ”

“Humans!
Nasty…nasty...nasty
things! ”

“You guys are
something else! ”

“But one day
our day will come

& cats & trees & things
will be...kings! ”

“Today, it’s yours! ”

“Tomorrow...ours! ”

“But...but..I’m
a nice human! ”

I finally string 2 words in edgeways!

“There are no…nice...humans! ”
spat the cat

its hair standing up
as if electrocuted.


“Yeah! ”
said the dirty bread knife

(which had waited all the night to be washed)

gazing eagerly at
my soft oh too venerable flesh.

“Yeah! ”
said the open fire

openly flaring up
and waving the Red flag

...spitting out sparks.

“Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! ”
said everything & anything.

Things were looking bad.

“I gotta stop
taking this diabetic medication! ”

I mutter to
myself

wondering about my insulin levels

and needing to pee.