Love Poem: never just a cat -

never just a cat -

oh little one, mine
     how you have stolen my soul, completely
          you worked your furry way inside, and grew my heart to twice its size
     you taught me, in your endlessly patient way, what is truly important
you have the sweetest, most gentle spirit of any creature I've ever known

and I can no longer imagine a world without your fuzzy smile.
     you are the very embodiment of love, unconditional
          and my bright spirit grows every day with my need of your need of me.
     I once told someone how much you mean to me
and they replied, "But it's only a cat!"

"oh, how foolish you are", I said ...
     "how much joy and love and tenderness you deny yourself!"
          if only they, and every other cold-hearted person, could know you
     or have something in their life as sweet as you
what a different world this would be ...

full of abiding happiness and love.
     you are everything to me, little one
          and I care not who finds me silly or foolish because of that
     or who finds my time spent with you as wasted
or who sees you as "just a cat" ...

for you are a part of me, and always will be
     as surely and deeply as any other creature I've ever known.
          you are a blessing and a miracle sent from heaven
     and I have a full, full heart and a charmed life
all because ... of You.






~ 1st Place ~  in the "Cat Poems" Poetry Contest, Tania Kitchin, Judge & Sponsor.