Thoughts of a feral
I sit beneath the bushes as she fills my dish each day,
I only venture out to eat when she has gone away,
I know it will upset her when I turn away and hide,
As every day she tries her best to get me by her side.
I wish that I could let her know that I don't want to run,
And hope that she will understand it's nothing that She's done.
I'd like to have her stroke me and pat my weary head,
But fear will overcome and I'll run and hide instead.
For all the kindly people who feed the strays each day,
I pray the Lord will care for them as they have cared for me.
-Annette Easdon
Ode to my Ferals
I see you running wild and free
A different kind of life you lead
Deep in the dark,
I can feel the wildness of your heart
I gaze out my windows
Just to see what I can see
A glimpse into your secret life
Would satisfy me
I hold close to my heart
All of your mysteries
And dream that someday
You will put your trust in me
-Erica Carranco
A Taker-in of Stray Cats
God sends some of us a special mission
To take in stray kitty-cats in any condition,
To feed them and give them a permanent home,
To love them and make them our very own.
They chase through the house; their potty box smells;
They seem to have secrets they're unwilling to tell.
They play till exhausted, then curl in your lap,
And settle themselves for a long comfy nap.
Some people are called to great wealth and power,
To run corporations and make big bucks per hour.
But others of us are only asked,
To take in little stray kitty-cats.
I asked God for things of importance to do,
Other than loving a good man and a bunch of kitties too.
He said, "Don't be self-righteous; learn from your mistakes,
And be glad I send kitty-cats and not My stray snakes."
I dreamed when I died I heard St. Peter say,
"What important things did you do each day?"
I felt Heaven for me was an impossibility
And that I shoul d have lived my life much differently.
Then God said, "Come in and have food and some drink,
And sit here in Heaven by your little cat Tink;
For I gave you one of My most important tasks
When I asked you to be a taker-in of stray cats."
- In Loving Memory of "Tinkerbelle," by Darlene Goff
all pictures by Erica Carranco