Kiki Caturday ~ raining cats and dogs

Raining Cats and Dogs by Jane Yolen (1993) has only two poems I like.

"Alley Cat Speaks"

I'm an alley cat,
an oily cat,
an only cat,
a hermit. ...

I can steal a little,
stretch a little,
stalk a little
more

Than your ordinary,
every dairy,
any wary
cat.

And there's not a butcher's
baker's
farmer's pet
who can say that!

This one made me think of two books.  The first is T. S. Eliot's book called Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (1939), and the other is May Sarton's The Fur Person (1957), that Bonnie wrote about, here.  That's what Bonnie calls me, a fur person, even though I'm a lady cat, not a gentleman cat.



The other poem is from the dog half of the book, and it's sad. The illustration shows a cat looking out a rainy window at a dog tied to a tree. Why are people so mean?

"It's Not Fair"

A cat can scratch,
A mouse can squeal,
And babies eat
A messy meal.

A bird can miss
Its paper lining
Kids can spend
An hour whining.

But do you put them
On a chain
Outside in sleet
Or snow or rain?

No! Only dogs
Are banished there.
It really isn't
Very fair!

No, it isn't. Beyond that, I have nothing further to say.

Kiki Cat,
signing off

P.S.  I rate this book at 7/10.