Mad Cat Poem by David Harris

For Tiger
1981-1999

For everyone who has
or who have had a pet cat or dog
will know they have a funny five minutes
from time to time.
They get up to some silly tricks,
but to them it is just a bit of fun.
The story I am about to relate
is a true story about a late cat of ours.
His name was tiger,
but he was a big softy.
A gentle giant of fourteen pounds.
Every so often he would race around the house,
up and down the stairs,
over the settee and then up the net curtains.
One day while I was watching TV, he started his game.
He raced around the house like a mad thing.
Up the curtains, he went all fourteen pounds of him.
The stress was too much for the curtains,
and at the seem they ripped.
Tiger swung like Tarzan
from one side of the window to the other.
When he stopped,
he jumped off and lay on the settee
as if nothing had happened.
He then stared up at me
with his big innocent eyes as if to say.
Dad, what is the matter?

18 March 2009