If a man could be crossed with a cat it would improve man, but deteriorate the cat.
Mark Twain
Agent Cooper mastering the side eye.
We learned many things during the 2020-2021 Covid avoidance period. Perhaps chief among these was a new appreciation of cats. To whit, the following:
Cats will drink out of a water glass.
Cats will drink from a running faucet.
Cats will avoid drinking out of a waterbowl to the extent that they will develop a UTI. Better to purchase an electric waterfall cat bowl immediately than to risk the inevitable.
Some cats will sleep on a sunny windowsill until their fur becomes too hot to touch and then go lie by the front door to cool off. Other cats prefer to bake in front of the fireplace.
Some cats will assist with quilting piecing.
Barry Allen
Some cats discover that parts are broken and in need of repair. But they soon sort themselves out and return to normal. And then display themselves full length to show that there’s absolutely nothing amiss.
Some cats will eat butter. Or at least leave paw prints in the butter. Put your butter in the fridge.
Some cats eat plastic. Some will eat tape. Both kinds will throw up the plastic or tape and whatever else is contained in their stomach. Hide the scotch tape. And anything made of plastic.
A treat jar may not be left out on the counter. Ever.
Cats whether visiting or permanently residing with you will kindly check on you when you’re napping to verify that you’re still alive.
Some cats will groom their less than fastidious brethren. Indy once scrubbed the space between Barry’s ears for a full five minutes. Barry did not resist until Indy moved on to Barry’s face and that was too much for Barry to bear.
Cats who have never seen window screens can be in for a horrific experience. Imagine a cat stuck up vertically to a window screen by all four paws. We wish we had a photo of this. But we were too busy trying to get the paws unstuck.
A cat concerned about feeding time will actually move (we have no idea how) a can of cat food up several steps to remind you that cats prefer to be fed. Often.
The Stability Paw – three views
Some cats will eat bits of chicken you kindly drop on the floor in front of them. But some cats must have their diet guarded constantly. Some cats can never be fed salmon. Never.
Some cats want to help you with your computer work. Really, they can be quite helpful in avoiding eye strain.
Indy and companion
Mostly though, cats love the warmth of your presence. And your flannel.
Note: This blog post was begun in July 2020. Things have changed now that it’s August 2021. But not how I felt then and not much how I feel now.
Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed—
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.
-- Langston Hughes, 1902 - 1967
That’s the second verse of my newest discovery in the wild world of poetry. It makes a catch in my throat. It makes me want to cry out, “Hell yeah!” It almost makes me sob with the recognition of this feeling in my heart, for it mirrors the despair I have felt for my country.
I used to be the star-spangled kind of girl who got teary-eyed when the National Anthem played at baseball games. Not for me the holier-than-thou, the U.S. has made mistakes, no allegiance to any country attitude. I knew in my heart that to make our country better was a high duty; that to speak out and march were patriotic acts, that to swear fealty to what was such a glorious place — home to the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence and George Washington.
I was so lucky to live near the District of Columbia and be able to experience so much and see so much of history. And when 9/11 happened I knew my country would take a measured revenge as justice for the 3,000 who perished.
And then that patriotic feeling started to fade. The Patriot Act was passed. The Bush Administration manipulated intelligence sources and, aided and abetted by the New York Times, cooked up the second war in Iraq tarnishing the reputation of Colin Powell and sullying every righteous reason for going to war. Body bags and grievously wounded service members started coming home and I remembered the sixties and seventies and Viet Nam. Edward Snowden revealed the truth about the overreaching surveillance of EVERYONE. The Patriot Act was renewed. Military camouflage became a fashion statement. Surplus military gear began to be a part of every police department. The patriotic displays honoring service members became pageants at almost all sporting events and these were paid for by the military branches as a recruitment tool. Suicide in the population of former and current service members became an epidemic. And if you didn’t stand for the National Anthem you were condemned. Every politician ended every speech with some form of “and God bless the United States of America.” The last straw was the constant standing for and singing of “God Bless America.”
Now it’s true that I am an atheist, but I’m quite willing for people who need to say or sing “God Bless America” to go ahead and do it. But it’s NOT, I repeat, NOT the National Anthem. It’s my right not to stand and sing it. As a matter of fact, it’s my right not to stand and sing the National Anthem.
Suddenly, it seemed everyone FORGOT what the dream of America is. Who are these people I started to wonder? Didn’t you ever read the Constitution? Didn’t you ever read the Bill of Rights? Don’t you know you’re an immigrant too? Don’t you know there’s more than the 2nd Amendment? The Tea Party acted like the election of Barack Obama made their country unrecognizable. They were certain all freedoms were being repealed. Their rally on the National Mall was poorly attended. The Rally to Restore Sanity in 2010 held by Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert was HUGE. More than 200,000 people attended. I was there, I saw. I’ve never, ever been in a crowd like that. But finally those strange, scared, angry people found a way to show me what they meant, what they wanted, what would make them feel good again.
They elected Donald Trump to be president of the country that I loved. And nothing will ever be the same. And now my country is unrecognizable. And that pride in a place that would always try to do right is gone. Because my country is doing wrong. Every single day in every way possible and I find nothing to be proud of.
First, of all, let me tell you that poetry is not the pretty, fluffy art form you think it is. It’s subversive. It’s bloody. It’s dangerous. It waits slyly there on the page and just when you least expect it, it will cut you to the bone. It will tear your heart out. It will make you laugh, weep, cry out, shout epithets, or cause cold sweat to drip down your spine. And if you’ve never read a poem that made you feel any of that, you just haven’t read the right poem yet.
… poetry is not a fancy way of giving you information; it’s an incantation. It is actually a magic spell. It changes things; it changes you. And that’s been the thing I’ve experienced with great poetry ever since.
Now I will tell you, this poem is not an easy one to read. It’s long. It tells hard truths. But it’s true in a way that anyone can understand. And it has meaning and truth for everyone of every color, creed, belief, and even political persuasion. Because deep down in your heart you will know it’s true.
O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.
Forced Perspective 