THE KITTY'S CATECHISM
Forgive me, God, I’m small and weak
And only born about a week.
I’ve barely opened up my
eyes:
It’s much too soon to catechize.
Do I believe? How can I doubt!
Mom taught me to be most devout:
Cats once were gods for the
Egyptians!
(Now wouldn’t that give you
conniptions?)
Do I give thanks? Yes! Yes! I’m told
I’ll live to be fourteen years old.
Then die and go to kitty
land
Where, Mama says, the catnip’s
grand.
And do I pray? Well, I can purr
And huddle down inside my fur,
Though mostly I just don’t
know how,
And listen close for God’s
Meow.
Who made the world? I’m in a fog!
(I don’t believe in God the Dog)
Is it enough to hope and
wish
That You’ll put something
in my dish?
Ask my cousins - Jaguars, Panthers,
Cheetahs, Lions - for the anthers,
Leopards, Tigers - they all
know
How catechism anthers go.
Forgive me, no more questions, please,
It’s time for me to take my ease,
And lick my paws and chase my ball:
I’m just a kitten, after all.
from the forthcoming book Prayers of 100 Animals A to Z, by William Cleary
TOP
|
