One day, mid-day, maybe noon, not before,
there came a loud crashing and thrashing at door.
I was resting from reading an old poem of Poe’s,
and I’d just laid back when I started to doze.

The noise now awoke me, and my senses still slow,
a flutter then flapping, would stop and then go.
Despite my respite, the disquiet resound.
My rest, now disturbed – I had barely lain down.

Now, New Mexico’s warm, most the year round,
I’d left my door open, the screen door ajar.
The sound that was coming was near, not far.
Upon lifting my head, from askance I espied
Morris, my cat, trying to get inside.

“Morris!”  I cried, “Just open the door!”

Now, this was a smart cat, he’d opened before
the door with his claws, yet I still wasn’t sure
what his problem could be, what the racket was for.

I then pulled myself up to see what was wrong.
Lordy, oh Lordy!  That cat had a pigeon!

This poor huge white bird was thrashing about.
I donned on my glasses and gave out a shout:

“Morris! Damn you!  Let that bird go!”

He continued to wrestle, so I guess that meant “No.”

I then rallied forth to rescue the bird.
I un-tethered, un-fettered the bird when I heard
the hissing displeasure in the cat’s angry breath
for saving this bird from her close call with death.

A renewed shot at freedom, she took a line drive
twixt the two large limbs that forked like a five.

A vision then struck me
– what sudden irony! –
two symbols of love, an allegory!

This white bird flew through an old Olive tree!
A numinous feeling then followed on me.

Yet, Morris still mad, that I knew there would be
a vengeful solution would soon visit me.

We watched for a long time, I with my vision,
as into the West kept flying the pigeon.
Certain she was happy in getting away,
I thought she’d not stop ‘til way passed LA.

Tit for tat, this cat would strike back –
Later that night, in front of the fridge,
Morris laid down his avenging revenge.

©2012, Marvin Welborn, revised 20 March 2013;April 16, 2013.