Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

Who's ready to rhyme? We're ready to rhyme! As always, we are of course participating in Teddy and Angel Sammy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge.

Every week, our hosts provide us with a photo prompt to help get our creative, poetic juices flowing. The image for this week is this one here:

Not long before I saw that there photo for this week's poetry challenge, I had read an article about a hair salon that has a resident cat who keeps customers happy during their stylings. I thought I'd aim for a poem along those lines. Somewhere along the way, though, I sort of lost control of that story line. I don't really know what happened, so you can just read the poem and judge it for yourself.

Nancy's Nook

Martha fancied herself a fresh, new look,

So she took herself to none other than Nancy's Nook.

This salon stood on the corner of No and Where,

And it was said that Nancy could work wonders with any hair.

When Martha arrived at Nancy's Nook,
She found that the place had a quaint little look.
Its walls were built of old red brick,
And it was filled with folk donning hair curly, straight, thin, and thick.

Martha stood in the lengthy line,
Which spanned out the door and to the street sign.
Luckily, Martha had brought herself a book,
Which she read until it was her turn to be helped at Nancy's Nook.

When she got to the counter at the front of the salon,
"Are you Nancy?" Martha asked the desk lady with a yawn.
"No," the woman said, "but I can certainly get you a slot with her.
Just have yourself a seat over in that there corner.
Yes, you just sit yourself down in that chair,
And Nancy will take mighty fine care of your hair."

Martha was all shades of excited.
The thought of a new hair style made her feel quite delighted.
She knew she wanted something far from drab,
Perhaps even turning her sandy hair to purple or black.

Suddenly, from the back of the salon strutted a grey tabby of a cat.
Martha most certainly hadn't been expecting that.
"Oh, how cute!" she declared with a clap of her hands.
"Your salon has a mascot? That is so grand!"

"Oh, no, that there is no mascot," the woman at the desk did reply.
"You're looking at Nancy there, with your very own two eyes!"
Martha looked down at the cat, who seemed to be staring into her soul.
Certainly the woman spoke the words of a jester or troll.

The cat finally looked away and strutted over to a nearby post.
On it she scratched her claws, until the post was practically toast.
More words came out of the front desk woman's maw.
She said, "Nancy there is just sharpening her claws,
So that with your new 'do you'll be in true awe."

Martha really, truly did not know what to say.
The words that then came out of her mouth arrived with delay.
"Will Nancy here take orders? Can she talk?"
The woman at the desk laughed, "Goodness me, of course not!
But, she sure can walk a mighty cat walk!
Really, though, you're in good hands.
Well, more like good paws, corrected I do stand."

And just like that, Nancy approached.
There was not a single request or word that Martha spoke.
Nancy simply jumped up on her shoulders,
Her claws sharp and glistening and not even remotely holstered.

Nancy stopped a moment to lick her furry neck.
Next she licked her paw until it was thoroughly wet.
Thereafter she turned her attention to the hair on Martha's head.
Then, without haste, locks and more locks were swiftly shed.

In what seemed like a matter of mere seconds,
Nancy jumped to the floor and sheathed her styling weapons.
With a flick of her tail, she spun Martha around,
So that she faced the mirror and made a squeaky little sound.

Martha was truly not sure what to think.
The volume of her hair certainly did shrink.
It also now jutted this way and that,
Jagged and shaggy and looking like it had been cut by, well, a cat.

"Oh, you look spectacular!" the woman at the desk did exclaim.
"You look like a princess, or a rock star, or a dame!"
"Really?" Martha asked, not sure she felt the same.
"I don't know that this is a style I can ever truly tame."

At that, Nancy let out a meow not all that quiet.
The cat looked at Martha as if she were a recalcitrant child.
"I'm sorry," Martha said, "I didn't mean to offend."
From Nancy, another meow did stem.

The woman behind the desk chimed in just then,
And these were the very words that she said:
"Nancy wants you to know it doesn't matter what your hair looks like.
It doesn't matter if your hair is blonde, brunette, black, or white."

Martha could not help but ask, "Wait, you can understand her?"
"Well, of course!" the woman nodded and did assure.
"Nancy always gives me at least her two cents.
That's why I know that she wants all of her clients to realize what's important."

Martha simply had to admit, "I'm sorry, but I don't know what you mean."
Nancy meowed, chirped, and trilled before she finally began to preen.
The woman behind the desk smiled and did say,
"Nancy says that the way you look is really unimportant in every way.
It doesn't even matter if your hair is filled with braids or spikes.
If anyone judges you by your hair, they can most certainly take a hike."

Martha pursed her lips, furrowed her brows, and had a good think.
Then, as she looked in the mirror, her doubts about her new hair began to shrink.
Making up her mind, she beamed and skipped,
And of course gave Nancy a very generous tip.

As she left the salon, running a happy hand through her hair,
The woman at the desk did declare,
"You go on out there and rock your new look!
And do be sure to tell your friends all about Nancy's Nook!"

***

Today, we are getting even more of that white that's already covering the ground. Apparently we're also supposed to more this weekend. That's why Thimble, and all of us here, are so very grateful for our home, from which we can watch that bright white snow fall while staying warm and cozy inside.

We know not every furbaby or human in this world is so lucky to know warmth this winter. Our purrs, woofs, and prayers are with all such individuals. We wish each and every kitty, pup, human, and all creatures of the earth could know warmth and comfort this winter.

We are also so very thankful for all of you! Warm wishes to all!

***

And now we have for the fill-ins statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. Ellen of 15andmeowing is the mastermind behind the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. _________ and _________ go hand in hand.

2. _________ makes my heart happy.

3. Don't be afraid to _________.

4. If _________ was a sport, I would win hands down.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

***

Our Tip of the Day:

Today's winter tip is one that you often hear in the summer, but that also goes for the winter months, and that is to never leave your pup or kitty alone in the car. Just like the inside of a car can get fatally hot in the summer months, the inside of a car can get far too cold in the winter for a furbaby to remain inside. Should you need to run errands where your furbaby is not allowed, leave them home where it is warm. Another option, should your furbaby for some reason need to be along when you run errands, is to bring someone along who can sit with them in the warm car.

In this same line of thought, if your furbaby is in need of a car ride, prepare the car for this. Should a vet visit be in store in the winter months, for example, warm the car before taking your furbaby outside for a ride. As we all know, a cold car is an uncomfortable place to be. So, try to ensure that your furbaby does not have to feel this discomfort.