Only a Cat

Only a cat, not very nice,

Kind of a loner, afraid of mice,

Difficult to love and ill- tempered.

But she was in my life for over a decade,

And I got used to her sullen, negative, presence.

Just a cat, with an inclination to scratch,

Bite the hand that feeds her, and shrug,

Not affectionate, not giving back,

But she was in my home for as long as I recall,

The good times, the bad ones, and all.

A street cat, someone left in my yard,

Starved, unwanted and unloved.

We grew older together, as one,

And as she became irritable, and short tempered,

Over the years, so did I.

Tri-colored short haired cat,

I named her Neko-Chan,

For cats, just like that,

Black, and orange and white,

I read in a book, are a sign for luck, in Japan.

But she walked away, in the full moon light,

White, and orange and black,

With all that luck, she did not make it back,

And took with her forever,

Our shared past.