Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

Here we are at another Thursday! Isn't that just wonderful? As usual, we'll kick off our Thursday with the Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge, hosted by the always wonderful Angel Sammy and Teddy.

Our hosts have been giving us some incredibly fun and inspiring photos as prompts for our poems each week. The photo prompt for this week is this here:

You know, I had a long explanation all written out for how I got from that photo up there to my poem that you can read below. I ended up cutting my rambling discourse out of this post, though, because it was painfully dull and really didn't explain anything at all. So, long story short, I have always been intrigued by beautiful structures such as castles, I have always loved reading magical and fantastical stories, and apparently I can't write a poem without creating some weird and random sort of story line to guide me through it. That all being said, you will now meet Frannie and Fred.

Frannie and Fred

Once upon a time, a witch lived in her castle on the hill.

The townsfolk said that with a wave of her wand she could make you iller than ill.

It was even said she could turn you into a goblin,

With nothing but a stir of her bubbling cauldron.
Her name was Frannie,
And the mere thought of her turned the hands of the townsfolk clammy.

Frannie could often be seen gazing out her castle window,

Watching the fearful folk hustling and bustling in the town below.

The townsfolk said she was nothing but wicked,

And that a mere look from her eye would leave you stricken.

Even Frannie's big black cat was feared,
And of its path the townsfolk steered clear.
His name was Fred,
And he was the source of much dread.

But the truth is that every story has two sides.

The same goes for Frannie and Fred who in their castle on the hill did reside.

These two were not what the townsfolk made them out to be.

They were more than simply what the eye could see.

The witch did oft gaze out her window,

And from it watched the townsfolk below.
But never once did she strike anyone down,
And nor did she let loose a goblin in town.

She would stand at her window with her loyal feline friend,
Whom each day to the town the witch would send.

Fred the black cat would strut from the castle door,
Seeing and sniffing what the outdoors had in store.
Into town each day he would make his way,
And the sight of him would turn the townsfolk grey.

But Fred was quite happy being shunned,
As he was simply content with a quiet nap in the sun.
He would spend his days in town wherever he pleased.
It was no matter to him if it left the townsfolk aggrieved.

But catching a snooze was not all Fred had in store.
He was not simply in town to show off his snore.
While he spent his days among the folk,
He perked his ears to hear all that they spoke.

One day Mr. Miser told his friends of his debt,
And about her wilting roses Old Lady Lotus did fret.
Of these comments Fred made careful note,
Even as into the land of dreams he did float.
He never stopped listening to those nearby,
And he took special notice when little girl Sally began to cry.
She bemoaned the loss of her favorite doll.
She was certain she would never again see it at all.

After a full day of eavesdropping on the folk in town,
Fred returned to his castle as the sun went down.
He sat by the window of the castle on the hill,
And all the details of the day to Frannie he did spill.

Then Frannie waved her wand and spoke a few simple words,
Which were the most beautiful thing you could have ever heard.
That was all it took for Mr. Miser to find himself debt-free,
And Old Lady Lotus's roses to become a sight to see.
As for the little girl Sally,
Her doll reappeared and she was quite happy.

For that was the way of Frannie and Fred.
They did not truly intend to be the source of dread.
Frannie perhaps stayed in the confines of her castle,
But that was simply because she was really quite bashful.
Neither she nor Fred were even a little bit wicked,
But more along the lines of quiet and timid.

They considered the townsfolk their people,
Whether or not the folk thought them evil.
They were content being the folks' friends from a distance,
Even if the folk shunned their very existence.
Onto the townsfolk Frannie and Fred did joy secretly pour.
After all, is that not exactly what friends are for?

***

Okay, everybuddy, my mom has jabbered on long enough today. Now you get to spend some time with me, Thimble!

First, let's start with a bright and shiny picture of me.

I just love my cat tree and the sunshine.

Now, though, I have something else to share with you. Our tortie pal Mudpie very recently shared an image to help kitties show what their petting preferences are.

Mudpie filled this out for herself, and I loved that idea. So, I filled it out for me, too. It really wasn't that difficult for me to pick what and where to color the image in.

I don't care where, just pet me! Getting petted is one of my favorite things in the whole wide world. I especially love having my tummy rubbed.

How about all of you? How woudl your chart look? Where do you like being petted?

Of course, we wouldn't leave yet, not without participating in Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today, I am thankful for my favorite cat tree, for sunshine, and for petting sessions. We're all also of course so very thankful for our family and friends. We are so lucky to have friends like all of you.

We wish you all a wonderful Thursday!

Purrs,

Thimble

***

Our Tip of the Day:

February is a significant month. It is Spay/Neuter Awareness Month, as well as National Pet Dental Health Month and National Cat Health Month. Over the next few days, or perhaps even weeks, we're going to give some tips and facts on these important topics. We'll start with spaying and neutering. As you all surely know, spaying and neutering your pets, as well as ferals outdoors, helps significantly reduce cat and dog overpopulation. This in turn reduces the number of homeless animals, the number of furbabies awaiting homes in shelters, and the number who are, sadly, euthanized due to lack of space in the shelter system. That being said, if possible, consider assisting in or donating to trap-neuter-release (TNR) efforts, so that even those kitties who are most comfortable with an outdoor life can enjoy a life that does not involve contributing to pet overpopulation. All of us here certainly love animals, but all of us also certainly feel heartbroken when we remember that there are a great many cats and dogs without homes due to uncontrolled reproduction and overpopulation. So, have your pets spayed and neutered, and, if possible, do what you can to help in the efforts to have feral colonies spayed and neutered as well. Stay tuned tomorrow for some facts and tips on the health benefits of spaying and neutering your furbabies!