A Little Bitty Ditty for ALL My Dads

 A long time ago, say around 1993, I had an actual webpage. Back then there wasn't Facebook, but you could easily learn HTML online and create these cool pages. So I did. I had a lot of of poetry written in the 80's, just for fun. I'm not a poet, and I know it. 

Tonight, looking for inspiration to work on a project, I found this thing. I wrote it for father's day and posted it on that webpage. The "Dads" were the men in my life that served that function in some capacity. First, my grandfather who raised me, second, my uncle who stepped into the place of a father when my grandmother died, and my biological dad that I reconnected with after 35 yrs in about 1984. I share this Little Bitty Ditty below.

I sat down before my computer
With confidence and determination.
I knew I could knock out twenty lines
To express my great love and affection.

But when confronted by the desert,
A thirsty man craves a drink.
And when confronted by an empty page,
This writer draws an absolute blank.

So after much thought and struggle,
Followed swiftly by prayer and frustration 
I took a deep breath and stiffened my spine
And promptly passed out due to poor oxygenation.

Upon my return, I decided simple is best
Who said I had to write a rhyme, anyway?
So here it is in a clichéd nutshell 
I love you true, so Happy Father's Day!

The Blessing of the Black Cat

 I watched Jet this morning as he did his usual “love me” routine of head butting and patting me with his paw. He’s such a beautiful cat and I get genuine joy just looking at him. However, it is his personality that makes everyone love him. He loves to be loved and get attention. Yes, it can get tedious, especially when I’m trying to write. 

I took a few photos of him and it struck again me how insane it is these animals were hunted to near extinction. Why would anyone do such a thing? This happened a few times in history because people considered them witches’ familiars or the devil’s tools. How stupid.

By no stretch of the imagination can I see Jet as evil. He is the most loving cat with a sweet disposition. I’ve never seen another cat like him in my life. I have an older cat, a tabby with a mixed coat, Chaz. He’s the alpha of my cat trio, and he’s grumpy. He attacks Jet frequently just because. Jet? He lies down on his back, exposing his belly, and reaches out with a paw in submission. Chaz doesn’t care. He’ll jump him and bite him. Jet runs. This behavior is almost daily. Jet never gives up submitting. Chaz never gives up his aggressiveness. I wonder who is the better feline?

As I write this post, Jet lies at my elbow on a small table I have for his use. Unless he is hungry or thirsty, he will stay there until I leave the desk. He’s never scratched, bitten, or growled at me. In 3 years, he’s meowed twice. He doesn’t tear things up or claw things. He tells me when I need to go to bed and he stays on the pillow next to me. If I lie down for a nap, he does, too. When I feel unwell, it is a great comfort to have him there. I don’t know what more you could ask in a cat. Every person I’ve run across, whether in person or online, who owns a black cat, tells the same stories.

Yes, he annoys me once in a while. I can only stroke his fur, rub his belly, or pet him so long before my shoulder and arm gives out. He’d let me brush him for an hour, but I barely hold out for 20 minutes. He pushed my phone down today as I took photos of him with his paw, a gentle push. I got the hint and gave him attention. 

Over a few years, I’ve seen videos of a handful of cats, in many colors, who are mean cats. They got that way because of the owners' handling, not the cat's nature. Training, kindness, and gentle treatment always results in gentle creatures. 

Despite this, people still torture and kill black cats for fun. Every year around this time jerks look for cats to “sacrifice”. Petty little minds with nothing better to do than kill animals for sport. 

Today, I brushed Jet’s thick, black coat until he was silky. He butted and licked my hands for pets. Brushing must feel wonderful because I get lots of kisses. I don’t understand how anyone could think evil of them or desire to hurt them. I don’t know how they’ve survived history and its cruelty. I’m just glad they did. No matter what history says, my beautiful black cat is a blessing.