LAVINIA CAT



Lavinia Cat, of vintage unknown

Came into our farmhouse and made it her own

And cut a fair deal with those in the house - 

Food and warm shelter in exchange for a mouse.

She carried no I.D., no collar or bell,

And where she had come from we never could tell.

No wanderer she, but a home-loving matron

With decided opinions and a strong inclination

For managing well (from a cat’s point of view),

And she settled in nicely, as cats often do.

Dining twice daily, just a spoonful…perhaps more…

Toys to amuse her when life was a bore.

Exploring and hunting within the vicinity

In response to the call of her innate felinity.

Long naps on the deck as the warm summers passed – 

No worries of hunger or winter’s cold blast.

Dreaming her dreams in a warm, cosy bed,

One pillow at her back and one at her head.

She got what she wanted and gave us no choice,

Stating her needs in her odd, scratchy voice.

An attentive companion would grant what she wished,

Also veterinary care (this was not on her list).

We smiled at her foibles – her offerings of mice!

We treasured her friendship, a pearl of great price.

But her stay was too short, her manner of leaving – 

So suddenly taken – an occasion for grieving.

Now, where raspberries cluster and forget-me-nots nod

Not far from the house, under newly-turned sod

There lies Lavinia, close to Barney, asleep,

But awake in our hearts, where fond memories we keep.