Smoketown Cats

The Cats in Smoketown love to cat around.

Though if you make the right sounds

they'll eventually come around.

 

Smoketown cats fight and play.

They wander and they stray.

And then when they've been up all night,

they sleep all day.

 

You don't own a Smoketown cat.

It owns you.

And if you think you own your house.

Odds are your cat thinks it has first dibs.

 

Smoketown Cats tolerate you,

depending on what you do.

As long as you give them food and water.

And attention!

When they demand it!

They will let you pet them.

 

If your Smoketown cat has wandered away.

That is just it going its way.

A Cat has a territory, but it must patrol.

A Smoketown Cat has to have a home,

But it has to explore, it has to roam.

It might make you angry.

It ought to make you pray.

That it is catting around somewhere safely.

And that he makes it home.

 

A Smoketown cat knows where to go.

And will return when it wants to.

If you have a smoketown cat.

And it wanders away,

It will probably come back

If nothing else for a kitty snack.

and someone to scratch its back.

And ease its anxiety

so it can nap in peace.

 

Chris Holte (Note Smoketown is the real name of Brunswick, Md)