Scaredy Cat

Yesterday's exercise was to take a poem I'd written in the third person, and rewrite it in the first, adopting the persona of the new speaker.

I took a poem I'd written in 2018 about a cat called Kelly, who I took in when a neighbour had a baby. Kelly was a feisty feline, quick to lash out and hard to love. This poem tries to work out why she was like she was.

Scaredy Cat

They call me Kelly.
They call me vicious.
They never keep me long.

I've never had a chance
To settle in a place I feel safe,
To learn each new way of living.

Freed from my box I hiss, arch my back,
Unsheathe my claws, let out a caterwaul,
Dart under chairs, hide on top of a cupboard.

They look nice. They look calm.
They offer me treats. Speak to me low and slow.
Is it safe to trust them? I've been wrong before.

I'll stay on my guard. Maybe, if things stay calm,
If I'm not passed along again like an unwanted parcel,
I might learn to trust, rub against a leg, allow a stroke, or two.

Strictly on my terms.


© Copyright 2025. Chris Auger. All Rights Reserved



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