stop throwing baseballs
for my neighbour's cat
his swing just isn't in it
and besides, I'm a little
worried for his fragility
he, being just porcelain
It occured to me after writing this peom that the phrase 'curveball' is a baseball term that is also used as an expression of an unexpected happening in life, very appropriate I thought.
I tried to get the poem as square shaped as I could, a square is equal but not much in life turns out equal, our lives are riddled with irregularities.
I love this poem, it's possibly my favourite that I have written. It's about mental health, are we strong and adaptive enough for what life throws at us. I chose the cat as a counter to our vulnerability, cats being naturally independent and strong, survivors, an oxymoron between cats and us.
A neighbour's cat, like when when say 'oh it's a friend' but we really mean it's us. Worried for his fragility is really worried for our own.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
This poem is also on PoetrySoup, here's a comment 'Witty clever fun.'