Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Exactly Right

by Charles Bukowski

the strays keep arriving: now we have 5
cats and they are smart, spontaneous, self-
absorbed, naturally poised and awesomely
beautiful.

one of the finest things about cats is
that when you're feeling down, very down,
if you just look at the cat at rest,
at the way they sit or lie and wait,
it's a grand lesson in preserving
and
if you watch 5 cats at once that's 5
times better.

no matter the extra demands they make
no matter the heavy sacks of food
no matter the dozens of cans of tuna
from the supermarket: it's all just fuel for their
amazing dignity and their
affirmation of a vital
live
we humans can
only envy and
admire from
afar.

"exactly right" by Charles Bukowski, from The Night Torn with Mad Footsteps: New Poems. © Black Sparrow Press, 2001

11 comments:

Jeannie said...

I think I am learning the ways of cats having my son's here. I would not deny myself another should the day arrive that I need one.

Denny Coates said...

THANK YOU, sweetheart. I LOVE Bukowski. Love him.

Syd said...

I am pissed at the cats at the moment because they decided to jump on our heads last night and did a claw puncture of my eyebrow and C's forehead. One gets jealous of the other and then they get into a spat which in this case resulted in them jumping on our heads at o'dark thirty.

Christina @ Fashion's Most Wanted said...

Dearest SB, at least you have your lovely cats to watch. Just checked out Pioneer Woman... "How to load hay onto your trailer" That'll be useful for me!! Not. xx

Vix said...

Cats rock! It's bloody crap here today and watching my two furballs is cheering me up no end.
Love you! xxx

Sarcastic Bastard said...

Jeannie,
I love you, but you know that.

Denny,
I love him too! We English majors have good taste.

Syd,
I'm sorry. That sounds painful. I'd be smacking some cat butt. Laugh.

Christina,
Your comment made me laugh so hard. That would be the least helpful thing you could ever read. Laugh. Love you lots!

Vix,
Yes, when I am down, the cats always help me a lot. Love you too.

Mj Rains said...

So true, so true....miss my cats still.

Gledwood said...

yeah i wanted a dog, a giant American Akita (i only talked of having small dogs because I wanted to hide them from my landlord and save money on dog food, but its giant furry wolf type dogs i really love)...

... having said that i was a cat person for years and it has to be said that

CATS RULE!

Mel's Way or No Way said...

My little earless girl Tippy sleeps on me every night and no matter how uncomfortable I am, I won't move her. Makes me wonder whose really in charge around here.

Petit fleur said...

I quite agree with Mr. B. He nailed it!

Kathleen Scott said...

100% true. Cats are the elegance and satisfaction of the moment.