Scent - A poem inspired by a kittens reaction

Scent

Oh scent from where did you come?

Fear and terror fill me now,

Memories of hiding and climbing over stuff

My eyes still closed I couldn’t even see.

My cries of hunger and pain go unanswered,

No licks, no mews, not teat to suckle,

No siblings with which even to snuggle.

Cries of loneliness linger unanswered.

Oh wait what do I smell, it is coming so near.

I lie and tremble, knowing not what to do

Hunger finally over comes my fear, I cry out.

And feel a soft loving tongue, not unlike my mothers.

Washes, licks, mews, but her teat are all dry

I stumble toward the other scent, this one heavy and strong.

my legs is all bent, which makes it hard to walk.

This other scent, senses I have something wrong.

One sniff, and I cower before him,

His fur is coarse and stiff, not like my mommy.

Hers was soft and fluffy, like the one who licked me,

Not like this one who shuns me, and swats me away from him.

She is carrying me now, hang limp, don’t cry,

She is nice this one, not like him who trots at her side.

She lays me on stone, oh wait I smell food,

Not from her, but from a pile in a bowl.

She nudges me up to the bowl, I hear him growl,

Does she mean to give me his share, now I’m truly scared,

She growls back at him, and keeps nudging me to eat.

He gives way to her, know he needs her to eat.

I see her eat some, and give it a try,

It smells and taste good, but hurts my little teeth,

I’m not ready for dry. I know she is trying to help me,

But I’m thirsty, oh to be able to suckle a teat.

Suddenly, a new scent arrives on the wind,

Knowing that I can’t run, she carries me away.

I never saw what it was, and on her I don’t sense fear,

She pauses by a pond, pausing to show me how to drink.

Then carries me back to the woods,

And lets me lie by her side.

She is warm and soft, and licks the film from my eyes,

I begin to see what I smell, and let out a cry.

He is big and rough, with a stripped tawny hide,

He looks at me like he wants me to die.

He knows I’m not able to live in the wild,

Yet the older mommy, likes me right at her side.

During the night, mommy leaves to go hunt,

And as soon as she gone, he puts his mouth over me

I think I’m going to die, but instead he carries me away

Back to the food bowl, where he drops me to lay.

He leaves my side and goes up high, It’s either eat or die.

Before the sun comes up he noses me to see if I’m alive,

And then is gone, without even a lick good bye.

I know that when the food is gone I will die.

But I didn’t die, I’m alive and here with my family today

That two legged scent rescued me, fed and bathed me,

And are my Mommy and Daddy today. Then why do

I smell that scent, on him and my two best friends.

I can’t help myself as my fear and terror fill my brain,

I flatten my ears, and rare back to fight,

for I Know he is here to finish,

 what he didn’t do that night.

But all I see are friends around me,

Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, Tom, Pip, Dusty and Sweet Pea,

All looking very concerned about me.

Tom and Pip come to check on me, but they were by the smell

Wait the smell is gone, Daddy is back, his hand is clean,

My hackles come down,  no longer looking for something to fight.

I check all the others, yes the smell is gone, my home is clean,

I hope my sleeps not filled with bad dreams tonight.

Because Munchkin would much rather play than fight.

© January 12, 2014

All Rights Reserved

Richard D. Nurse

RDN

And Then There Were Six

The story of how Creme Sickle came to join our family.

And Then There Were Six

It was love at first sight, Two weeks after he was born. A Crème colored kitten, with white little mittens. Part of a gang of five to a first time mom Three grey with white mittens the last an orange tiger like our Tom

They would tumble and play five balls of fuzz on four legs. Then curl up together to sleep in the shade of an Iris patch. With each day we watched as their personalities began to show the three grays, shy and timid The Crème and orange were always game.

It didn’t take long to give him a name Crème sickle we called him on that very first day, and which for us is quite rare, it’s still the name he has today.

While the smallest of the litter He was fast and brave. He’d tangle with his older cousins; Even Street Fighter was fair game. And a feeding time, he was never lame, for he sat in the middle of the bowl, atop the food, and ate both his and the others food.

Twice we had him in our arms hoping to find him a home sadly each time ended the same Back home with us he came. Then his siblings were all caught and taken to a foster home .And suddenly Crème sickle had only his mommy at home. Actually that’s not quite true, since he had four older cousins, plus three who were new. He’d sleep with the little ones, where he now ruled, and wrestle and play with his older cousins throughout the day.

We brought him in to see how he would fare with the five we already had in here.

The older two were fine it seemed like they didn’t care. But the younger three; definitely Didn’t want him in their place. The youngest of all actually displayed anger and hate; which for her was a never seen trait.  So back out he went once again with his cousins to play.

So back out he went, with his cousins in the pride, shunned at first from the smell of inside.  But granted a spot by the mother of three, to suckle and bond with the other three. Fully back in the pride, and free to play, be they younger or older, they were all fair game. Even Street Fighter, whose health had turned for the worst, let Crème Sickle cuddle, if not actually play.  And at feeding time, he was on his game, right in the middle of the bowl, sitting atop the food.

Then a plan was hatched to trap the little ones, and send them to foster homes so they could be adopted, and have a home.  The others, we would then catch, and

Neuter or Spay, then back to here where they could stay.  Poor Crème Sickle was the first to get put in a cage; and a plan for his cousin Bullseye; to join him for the day.  Except Bullseye had other plans, as my wife soon found. With her bleeding and scratched Bullseye dashed her plans. 

Little Crème Sickle spent the night in the cage, not very happy you could easily say.  But Street Fighter might have actually been beyond number 9, so off to the vet, knowing full well he wouldn’t be coming home.  Back home we did come with an ach in our hearts, but knowing we had done the right thing, for he was now pain free. 

I opened the garage, and there was Crème Sickle looking and crying at Sue and me. One look at each other and we knew what to do. The trapping plan was on hold, but Crème Sickle wasn’t going free. Instead he was coming back inside with Sue and me.  And together we would take more time to let the other five agree.

With the two oldest it was an ease, Tom is so laid back and easy going, and Sweet Pea, played Mr. Mom to the other three. Pip followed suit, when he realized Crème Sickle liked to play.  The two girls were the tough ones, filled with hisses and growls, and the occasional deep guttural groan.

Five days and nights have passed, and Crème Sickle likes his new home. Big brothers with he can both sleep and play, and two older sister, who while they don’t hiss and growl as much, are like older sisters everywhere, and wish that little brother might simply go away.

©August 24, 2014

RDN

The Circle of Life

A Title I believe has been used a few times before

“The Circle of Life”

Isn’t amazing how the circle

 Of life always seems to go on.

For each one lost;

Another one is found.

Or in the case of Street Fighter,

 Five new ones into view do bound.

For on that sad day

We had to put him down,

Mommy, his companion,

And friend to the end,

Brought out their babies

For their first view of the world around

 Five little balls of fur, all fuzzy and round;

 And pointy little tails; just sort of stumbling around. 

She fed them in the open for us to view,

Her gift, a thank you, and show of trust

For years of caring and loving by us

For her, her children, and her mate by us

What a sight to see, for in the five will be:

One mostly gray, another one tawny,

 And again a brown tiger with cute white paws,

However, the two that I think, Are the cutest of all,

Are 2, four-legged cotton balls

With black spots, randomly scattered about

Just a coincidence

I think not my friend

She knew how bad he was hurt

For she stayed by his side.

She showed us their babies;

For us remaining by their side

Who will take over the pride?

At present, I do not know.

I have to put my faith in mommy

To watch over the pride

For unlike Street Fighter

I cannot always be at her side.

By:  Richard Nurse

©August 22, 2014

Introduction

Introduction:

I guess you can still live the dream life in America.  Althought maybe not as easily as the great generation did.  Being a early Boomer myself I have found the wonders of being retired.

I have two new careers to keep me occupied, and my mind vital and intact. Or at least I think it is.  I actually retired later than I had planned oh so many moons ago, but earlier that I actually figured as I matured.  I reached the dah point, as I call it, in 2010, when my wages were to be frozen for at least two years, and if I took my SSI early, and my State retirement at that point I was working for free.  Thus why work is a world of stress, for no monetary benefit, so I gave my heart and mind a present and retired.

The best career decision I have ever made.  My life, health, and all around well being improved, and I was able to dive into the antique business I had begun ten years earlier, as my retirement career of choice, and enjoy the fun.  Along the way, my second retirement dream began to come to the surface, as I began to write once again, as I had off an on for years, only now I had the time to let the words just flow.

Five novels, 14 short stories and two books of poetry, published under a pen name, instead of by me.  Modest royalities do flow, and it is a pleasure to see someone purchase the stories written by the other me.

Now it is time for me to slip into the open. I have two poetry books on Amazon right now, and one is actually free for the next five days.  As you might be able to tell I often write in verse, and poems about my cats seem to often come first.

You will learn about them, if to this blog you subscribe, for they fill my life with joy and my mind with inspiration.  I hope you will enjoy my blog as it grows, and through here I will tell you as new stories grow.

Richard D. Nurse
RDN