Gecko
Mia looked dismayed and then perturbed
as I retrieved the little body, pierced
by cat teeth busily as San Sebastian
was by arrows, with a Kleenex. Her
“Hrrumph!” was almost audible as she turned
to sniff behind the chifferobe for fresh
green trophies. I flushed the gecko
and its shroud-- the closest this far inland to
a burial at sea that I could give
a small thing which did no harm. I might
have built a tiny pyre in the Weber
grille but it is cold today, and damp.
as I retrieved the little body, pierced
by cat teeth busily as San Sebastian
was by arrows, with a Kleenex. Her
“Hrrumph!” was almost audible as she turned
to sniff behind the chifferobe for fresh
green trophies. I flushed the gecko
and its shroud-- the closest this far inland to
a burial at sea that I could give
a small thing which did no harm. I might
have built a tiny pyre in the Weber
grille but it is cold today, and damp.
|
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Author's Note
Cat poem. No video.
Other stories by Gary Hardaway
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Captured with feeling. *
" . . . a small thing which did no harm . . . "
I have been charmed by a persistent young female cat with a sweet face and long, thick gray fur. I'm not sure if she is a stray or feral. I had her neutered, I feed her, and she sleeps in the house but she spends most of her time outside regardless of the weather. She's a natural born killer. She lives to hunt.
Hahahahaha! Yes, it is. Poor little house Gecko. They don't last long around here.*
Starts out with a perfect cat name: Mia. She moves on quick, too. Always another. Nice piece, Gary.
Cats have insinuated themselves into our lives as adorable, funny, cozy creatures when they really are vicious sociopathic killers of geckos and birds and mice etc. Mine are house cats. I'd never let them decimate the ecosystem. Fave*
Effective opening lines, Gary. Nicely done.
"I might
have built a tiny pyre in the Weber
grille but it is cold today, and damp." *
Nice piece. I liked the ending, brought it full circle for me, somehow.*
Nice piece. I liked the ending, brought it full circle for me, somehow.*
OH yes. This is wonderful.
This I really like:
I retrieved the little body, pierced
by cat teeth busily as San Sebastian
was by arrows, with a Kleenex
I think the way you dumped in the participial phrase (really complicated because a noun clause is the object of the preposition) "pierced
by cat teeth busily as San Sebastian
was by arrows,"
The language sort of breaks up and flies around and comes back together like a frightened bird flying up and coming to rest again seconds later, making a sense of wonder and relief.
I'm not sure how to describe how it works... I don't think I can, but the whole piece has the same tone, and it's sad but joyful too.
I'd like to fave it a bunch.
Meant to say, "think it was wonderful the way you used that phrase."
nice work.
Thanks to everyone for the generous readings and commentary.
I tried to capture the weird combination of being amused and appalled by my elegant young Siamese cat's behavior, the small sharp sorrow of a tiny lizard's death, and the "sophisticated" acceptance of the wild within the domesticated. Who can make it through a day without being conflicted and hypocritical?
Yes, Gary, I think you did "capture the weird combination of being amused and appalled."
My cat doesn't decimate the ecosystem. I live next to a wooded area, a river, and a railroad track. The area is teeming with a wide variety of wildlife, including cats, domestic, stray, and feral.