Eloquent Tail - 3

Wild cat
tail
moving --
not
still --
in
sleeping.

Sleeping
in?
Still
not
moving
tail,
wild cat?

Not impressive, but sweet...

Ten little fingers
Ten little toes
One little mouth and
One little nose

Two little ears
Two little eyes
One little boy --
Just the right size

Eloquent Tail - 2

Today's poetic entry continues the tale of Chloe's very expressive tail. :)



Why,
when you feel
content,
does your tail form
a question?

A question:
Does your tail form
content
When you feel?
Why?

Book 70

What Am I?, Sterling Press 2003

This was one of those books that my son picked out from the library and didn't want to return. Because I am a former children's librarian, I cannot condone that. To prevent an ethical quandary, I ordered him his own copy before the three-week check-out period ended.

Although this book is wonderfully colorful and delightfully drawn, it is not one I would have bought on my own. Never underestimate the power of concentric circle eyes. Not only does my little boy love to run his finger over the ridges, he also discovered that the eyes are just the right size for the Pier One ceramic balls I bought for Spring. He also discovered that those balls do NOT bounce on a hardwood floor -- that would be another story.

As far as the writing goes, it is super-simple and rhymed, although sometimes the rhyming feels a bit forced. I can't fault it too much, because sometimes so does mine. Anyway, as I said, I would not have decided to buy this book except for the fact that my son loves it so much. And your child loving a book is a pretty darn good reason to buy it.


*For other reviews, please see Books I Buy and Why

Here is my poetic entry for today (not a reverso). Instead, this one is for my little boy.


My Sweet Thomas--

For Easter last year, I bought you a rabbit.
You carry it wherever you go.
Stuffing has slipped from the neck where you grab it.
Now its head freely flops to and fro.

When you've grown, I wonder, will you love that rabbit
With its fur gone pilly and matty?
Will you carry it about, or break that habit?
Will you been seen with a rabbit loved ratty?

Eloquent Tail -- 1

For this month's poetry challenge, decided I wanted to write a "story" in the reverso style that I can illustrate later this year if I'm feeling ambitious. I will NOT be writing a reverso every day -- maybe every other day -- I want a challenge, not a migraine!

For my subject, I chose my fat, lavender-eared, little wild cat. Her markings make her resemble a Mau, but her farm-cat build makes her look much more like an African wildcat. Anyway, she has a most expressive tail, so the title for the ongoing work will be The Eloquent Tail. Here is today's entry and the first verse of my reverso:



The little wild cat
arranges
and
twists
the eloquent tail
to speak
volumes

Volumes
to speak:
The eloquent tail
twists,
and
arranges
the little wild cat.

April!

It's bad poetry month -- I mean poetry month, so as promised? threatened? here is my first entry:

It's the first day of April
And I was dressed like a fool,
For the sun was warm and bright
But the wind was Arctic cool.


And just think, I typed that with a wiggly two-year-old on my lap. :)