Haiku Kitty!

2010-04-14T06:34:00.000-07:00

In Memory of Mr. Buddha (Fuji)

Well, Mr. Buddha was put to sleep on Monday, April 12, 2010. He was born around April 23, 1991, and came into my life as an adorable fluff-ball at a college drinking party I attended on my birthday, June 17 of the same year.

He was christened Fuji because my boyfriend Evan and myself were both photography majors, and already had a first cat we named Kodak - a black and white tuxedo. So, rather than going with Agfa or some such, we chose Fuji to follow our theme (although in retrospect, Agfa's a pretty cool name!).

But over the years, he renamed himself Buddha or Mr. Buddha because he was so centered, calm, regal, patient, tolerant, understanding, disinterested in the best possible way, and generally operated on a higher plane than other cats. He never got involved in the usual enthralling (for cats) issues of territory and hierarchy. He got along with everyone and everyone got along with him. He welcomed any new rescue or housemate into the fold with nary a hiss or swat. So, as the years rolled by he became more and more firmly Mr. Buddha until I almost forgot he ever had another name.

He was by my side through my tumultuous college and post-college years. He was there through a string of roommates coming and going through his home. Through the many nights I came home wasted or didn't come home at all. Through the days when his box didn't get cleaned and he was lucky that at least I always remembered to feed him or get someone else to. I was young and stupid and distracted and self-centered. He never resented any of it. He always loved me just the same.

He moved with me from college rentals, to my townhouse in Millersville, to a variety of apartments in Baltimore city, down to Atlanta and back again, then through a string of rental homes in Glen Burnie, Pasadena, and finally back to a house in Millersville. He always took everything in stride. Wherever the other cats and I were was where he wanted to be.

He put up with a growing herd of resident cats, a rotating multitude of short-term feline rescue tenants on their way to new homes. He welcomed each and every one and made them feel comfortable.

He was beyond special and I miss him dearly. I meant only to write that I would try to come up with a haiku for him, but instead the above came tumbling out... I WILL try to write a haiku for him when I'm able but don't know that I possess the creativity or skill to encapsulate the uniqueness that was Mr. Buddha in only 17 syllables, or even a series of 17 syllables.

Goodbye, my long-time friend. I will miss you.

2009-06-26T06:02:00.000-07:00

In Memory of Kodak (apologies to t.s. eliot)

i grow old... i grow old...
i shall eat my catfood cold

shall i chase after a squirrel? do i dare to eat a mouse?
i shall groom white feet and torso and walk out of the house
i have seen the kittens leaping, pounce to pounce

i do not think that they will leap for me

i have seen them running homeward through the grass
combing the green hair of the strands blown back
when the wind blows the blades fore and aft

we have lingered in the meadows of the sky
by kittens soft of fur and bright of eye
till human voices wake us and we die

2009-02-18T09:15:00.000-08:00

2009-02-18T08:51:00.000-08:00

Lily White (Ya Ya)

A small white shadow
flits from room to room, anxious
to remain unseen

2009-01-12T07:30:00.000-08:00

Caw Caw

"Caw Caw" says kitten
in the crow's nest, "Meow mrrff"
says kitten at home

2009-01-12T06:27:00.000-08:00

Kodak

sun splash on my legs
I become chocolate brown
colour of black, warmed

2008-12-09T05:59:00.000-08:00

Autumn (Bubo)

fur ruffling backwards
I huddle against the wind
watching leaves skitter

2008-09-18T05:25:00.000-07:00

Police Blotter: Two Haiku Interpretations in Three Acts

Baltimore Co. – Cockeysville
Robbery A man, 26, was walking along Hogarth Circle about 9 p.m. Sunday when three teenagers, one of whom implied he had a gun, robbed him of a bag of cookies, a fruit drink and cat food. As the three youths were about to flee, the victim asked one of them to return the cat food. The youth did and all three escaped on foot.

1. Haiku Interpretation by guest Kinetic Prose

From the perspective of the teens:

We needed some "food"

So we got a "gun," for fun

Stole not all, but some

From the perspective of the robbee:

They took my cookies!

The took my drink! What am I

to eat: my cat's food?

From the perspective of the cat:

meow, crunch, crunch, crunch

I was hungry, now I'm not

crunch, crunch, crunch, meow

2. A Haiku Interpretation by Haiku Kitty

Robbee:

Take my cookies and

Take my drink - but have pity

leave me the cat's food

Robbers:

Listen to this fool!

Crazy old man! But why not?

Catch! Here's your cat food!

The Cat:

I see you've brought food

and none too soon - for tonight

I would have killed you

2008-09-10T12:01:00.001-07:00

The Prince

Feline royalty
you may call me Prince Harry
and now - take me home!

See my bio!

2008-09-05T07:36:00.000-07:00

Off-Topic Haiku

Say no to mullets!

No more redneck presidents!

It isn't NEW-KUE-LAR!

See the mullets!

2008-08-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

Memory

A silver-tipped hair
lit briefly by the sunlight
but where have you gone?

2008-08-01T04:48:00.000-07:00

Josie

Housing crisis means

Josie's left without a home

Won't you give her one?

Meet Josie!

2008-07-31T10:59:00.000-07:00

Kittens!

hooray for kittens!
tiny faces; tiny feet
the whiskers tickle

See us all!

2008-07-31T10:41:00.000-07:00

Catch them before they're gone!

like smoke they drift by

on velvet paws with claws

passing quickly, gone.

See available cats from AWLMC and the haiku they inspire here...