though the gray cat thinks of me
no more than a gray cloud would,
or a window pane,
or a key chain.
I leave my life in a dish for the gray cat to find,
but the gray cat is gone
like yesterday's breath.
Who knew I could hurt like this?
If I drop the dish, it doesn't even shatter.
The gray cat's main concern is the moon
and garbage and gray cats and food.
I was sick once,
and became more beautiful.
The fever fell in love with me, poor thing.
Outside myself at last, I hover,
asking what's wrong.
"Bring me my gray cat," I whisper, crying like a child.
Other Me laughs,
says you'll never come back
and were never gray,
never gray,
never gray,
but black, dear, black.
______
shared with Sunday Muse #243.
image at top by Jocelin Carmes
music: Once Blue Now That I've Disappeared
So sad and so beautiful. I love it all but the stanza that really sticks in my head is the one about being sick and being more beautiful and the fever falling in love with you. For some reason this felt particularly poignant. Thanks for a stunning read.
ReplyDeleteAmazing, Shay. You rock me. The lines:
ReplyDeleteI leave my life in a dish for the gray cat to find...
Who knew I could hurt like this?
If I drop the dish, it doesn't even shatter.
Are perfection.
Sincerely,
David
SkepticsKaddish.com
This gave me chills.
ReplyDeleteLove the melancholy tone. The end is like a punch in the gut...things are never as they seem.
ReplyDeleteI feel these lines deep in my heart Shay! I love the idea of a fever falling in love with you and the closing line is striking and sure! Simply gorgeous my friend!
ReplyDeleteyes! i love that... so good!
ReplyDeleteOuch. So beautiful it hurts.
ReplyDeleteThat is so good, once I again I don't know where to start. Beautiful, unexpected, turns through a kaleidoscope where grey is the only color until I turn back to black, as she sang. Yes, this: "I leave my life in a dish for the gray cat to find" but this is so amazing I'm not sure how to describe what it does in the poem: " was sick once,
ReplyDeleteand became more beautiful. / The fever fell in love with me, poor / thing."
A perfect tribute to the gray cat. I especially love the first two stanzas
ReplyDeleteHauntingly beautiful, ominous, an edge of chill, sad but you know what? That's the artist's way. You alchemise the hell out of that sadness. Love all the notions and images you encapsulate in this poem, Shay. And love the tune! Great song :-)
ReplyDelete"I leave my life in a dish for the gray cat to find" Love that line. This piece is beautiful even with its melancholy.
ReplyDeleteThis is chilling, yet beautiful.
ReplyDelete