November 14th, 2022Local lines

Grey Cat
Self-anointed King of The Suburban Jungle
struts uninvited across my newly mown lawn
Expressionless yellow eyes stare purposefully ahead
Stunted, scarred ears pricked, ever on the alert
Arrogant moggy in your flea-bitten coat
How I envy your poise and self-assurance
Oblivious to mortality, you spend your mornings
in sunny repose beside the garden shed
your afternoons in disdainful exploration of the yard
The birds try your patience – let’s have some fun
Blackbird beware, sparrows flee, house mouse run!
Smug, plump moggy so deceptively swift, so often thwarted
Despised despot, I don’t envy your itinerant lifestyle
Time you were going, drop your foul offerings elsewhere
Ha, how swiftly you move to evade a flying boot!

• Julie Moran
  Julie left early childhood education
  to pursue her passion for writing:
  she’s kicking herself for not
  escaping earlier. Life’s intricacies
  and the ever-changing landscape
  around her home at Newlyn North
  provide constant wonder and
  inspiration.
  Local Lines comes mainly from a group of local poets but other submissions
  are always welcome. To have a poem considered for publication contact Bill
  Wootton at cottlesbreedge@gmail.com