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If a blue-eyed cat
with fur as white
as an angel in freshly-fallen snow
climbs onto your chest
for a nap while you're sprawled
on the couch in the dining room,
set your glasses aside
on the tile floor
and fold that book closed.
Don't take a bite of the muffin
you've been saving to savor
since the stop-off at noon
nor unwrap the letter
a friend in Spokane
spent three days writing to you.
Do not answer your phone
even if it's your mom
calling to tell you that
her ship has come in.
Simply let this cat pin you
to his be here now bliss
for few moments in life
are as sweet as this
© by Shoshauna Shy.
Used with the author's permission.
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Shoshauna Shy began writing at the age of eight, was recruited by a muse in her early 40s and, since then, has since published five poetry collections and a wealth of award-winning fiction and nonfiction. Her poetry has been studied in classrooms, recited in church sermons, translated into Chinese, discussed by book clubs, made into videos, and produced inside taxi cabs and on the backside of city buses. Not a monogamous writer, Shoshauna works on as many as 7-11 projects at a time. The founder of Poetry Jumps Off the Shelf, she lives in Madison, Wisconsin.
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Wilda Morris:
Well done! Both what to do and what not to do! Makes me miss my cats!
Posted 08/09/2020 08:24 AM
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BAMars:
I still have guilt about not putting down my newspaper when my old Siamese used to come between me and it at the breakfast table when I was 17. Today I try to stop what I am doing when one of the cats pays a call. Lovely poem.
Posted 08/08/2020 06:00 PM
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Lori Levy:
I'm not a cat lover, but I love the "be here now bliss" of this poem.
Posted 08/08/2020 04:11 PM
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barbsteff:
Dogs have masters. Cats have staff, as this delightful pom shows.
Posted 08/08/2020 03:17 PM
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mail@schoolbusmart.com:
It's not just cats, but my chihuahua and even my cockatiel (oh yes). Thanks for the be here now feel good poem. Randy
Posted 08/08/2020 02:04 PM
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joecot:
With a cat on your chest the wild world recognizes your worth and shares its sometime warmth. Lovely poem.
Posted 08/08/2020 12:51 PM
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Jean Colonomos-1:
A good reminder, to take moments of bliss during the day. Thanks.
Posted 08/08/2020 10:13 AM
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Stephen Anderson:
I love the being there focus of this poem, Shoshauna!
Posted 08/08/2020 09:59 AM
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DELINDMAN:
I'm not a cat person, but this is a really good poem. Great description and love the structure.
Posted 08/08/2020 09:46 AM
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Sharon Waller Knutson:
What an honor to wake up to a Shoshauna Shy poem. I love Shoshauna's poems as much as I love furry felines. The metaphor "fur as white as an angel in freshly-fallen snow" is exquisite. The alliteration in the line: "saving to savor since the stop-off at noon" is simply sublime.
Posted 08/08/2020 09:34 AM
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michael escoubas:
Shoshauna: You're not Shy about writing excellent poems with great "S" sounds along with a totally winsome spirit. Kudos on a poem worth multiple reads!
Posted 08/08/2020 08:47 AM
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