Our purrs, woofs, prayers, and thoughts are with Ellen and her entire family. Millie is the 5th kitty they've said goodbye to over the past year. We pray that the rest of 2020 brings Ellen and her entire family nothing but health and happiness. Please visit Ellen at
Each week, our host shares a photo prompt to guide our attempts at poetry. This week's image is this daunting one here:
I always try to incorporate animals, most often cats, into my poems. That's perhaps why the image above first brought to my mind Unsinkable Sam. We've mentioned this amazing kitty on our blog a couple times before. In short, Unsinkable Sam was a World War II era tuxedo cat who survived the sinking of three ships before being retired to land. I didn't want to sully Unsinkable Sam's story by trying to retell it in a poem, so I instead decided to let Unsinkable Sam more loosely inspire my poem this week. And so that's where this came from:
Once upon a time there was a ship in the night.
It drifted at sea as it waited for daylight.
However, the sun threatened to never peek over the horizon.
Instead, storm clouds rolled in and the sea's waves started rising.
The sea began to lash and bash against the ship.
The sea was relentless as it thrashed and whipped.
The waves gained strength as they rolled and foamed.
Overhead, more and more angry clouds formed and domed.
It became a dire situation requiring all hands on deck.
Someone shouted, "The storm rolled in so fast. What the heck!"
One member of the crew was a man named George,
Who grabbed the ship's railing to keep from being tossed overboard.
Watching the frothing waves rise higher and higher,
George realized the situation was now more than dire.
"I'm going to fetch Louie!" George did shout.
"During the last storm, his luck helped us out."
There was another member of the crew named Peter.
Unlike George, this Peter was far from a believer.
Peter said, "Good grief, George, what good will that do?
You know you're delusional, don't you?
You put far too much faith in that cat.
Besides, how can he be a lucky cat when he's unlucky black?"
George only shook his head and said, "I've never heard words as stupid as that."
George then did what he had said he would do.
He ran into the ship's cabin where slept the crew.
The only one snoozing at this time was none other than Louie,
Who woke up with frazzled whiskers and a grunt somewhat moody.
"We need your help, Louie!" George said as he scooped up the cat.
"You're our lucky charm, and we need good luck, that's a fact!"
Louie the black cat nearly fell back asleep in George's arms.
That all changed, though, when on the deck thunder sounded like an alarm.
Louie looked all about and a yawn burst from his mouth.
He watched as more storm clouds rolled in from the south.
Then a wave splashed onto the ship and got his black fur wet,
Which Louie immediately took that as an unforgivable threat.
He shook it off and looked at the sea with a growl,
And then he looked up at the grumbling sky with a scowl.
There was a roll of thunder and a flash of lightning,
And a then few more waves reached heights beyond frightening.
Then, suddenly, the clouds overhead began to part.
To either side of the sky overhead they did dart.
Then, in a similar way the crashing waves also did part.
Like the clouds overhead, to either side of the ship they did retreat in a dart.
The ship's path was now perfectly clear.
There was no threat of danger and no need to fear.
"Now what did I tell you, Peter?" George said.
He gave Louie a pet and a pat on the head.
Peter turned his head, surely in shame.
Anyone who would deny Louie to be lucky was really quite lame.
George said, "Louie has more than proven himself our lucky cat.
There's clearly nothing unlucky about a fantastic feline of black."
Indeed, this was neither the first nor last time Louie brought luck to the ship.
For this reason and more, he was happily welcomed on every sea trip.
He was the only member of the ship's crew allowed to sleep on duty,
Because he was the one and only Lucky Louie.
***
Thimble is of course now ready to share some Thankfuls on this Thursday.
In case you can't tell from that there photo, some of Thimble's favorite things are her beloved window, the warm and cozy sunshine, and belly rubs. She's always grateful to have any or all of those wonderful things. And don't worry, because directly after this photo was taken Thimble got the belly rub she wanted. I'm always happy to oblige that request.
As always, we're also always so very thankful for all of you friends of ours!
***
And now we have for you the statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. Ellen of
15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.
1. I am particular about _________.
2. My _________ is _________.
3. _________ is a moment I will never forget.
4. Have you ever heard of _________?
We'll see you tomorrow, friends!
***
Tip of the Day
Though we're more than a tad bit late in the season to give this tip, we're going to give it nonetheless. Today's tip relates to the furnace, and we want to remind you to have a professional inspect your furnace before use every year, or as needed. An inspection could help detect any issues that might make running the furnace a risk. This in turn of course gives you the chance to have any necessary repairs or replacements made, so that neither your furbaby nor yourself are put in unnecessary danger.
Also relating to the furnace, don't forget to replace the filter regularly. A clean filter not only allows the furnace to run optimally, but also helps eliminate allergens, dust, and other such debris from the air. Ensuring ideal air quality with a clean furnace/air filter is something to especially take into consideration if your furbaby, or yourself, has asthma or other respiratory issues. The furnace plays a crucial role for your furbaby and yourself on cold winter days, so don't forget to give it the care and attention it needs.
