Sunday 2 January 2011

Kittens with leukaemia (a lament)

If anyone knows of any cat poetry publications or competitions I can enter this into under an old lady pseudonym I'd be very grateful. I can't decide if this should go in 'Richard Tyrone Jones Has a Big Heart' (the book) or 'Crush All Liberals'.

Kittens with leukaemia (a lament)

Poor leukaemia kitties, will no-one stroke them?
Shivering in the cold, no hair to cloak them
If you ask what feline leukaemia is, here's my answer.
it's an immunosuppresant retrovirus which causes cancer
of the white blood cells and then the lymph
it does not affect the dog or the water nymph.

From poor coat, skin infections and weeping lesions,
these kittens suffer, and also seizures.
They cannot eat what's in their bowls;
these cats are not cats that give many lols.
But bald as they are, they can still purr -
you can still feel affection with manky fur.
Touch the poor moggies, then, feel no fear
man can catch nothing from their sad diarrhoea.

They caught it during their gestation
Their mommy never got her vaccination
their owner was guilty of procrastination
the poor kitties will get no compensation.
I curse the heartless God who has made
both a separate leukaemia, and a separate AIDS
for our feline friends.
They near their end;
Hush now;
don't miaow;
sleep, little kitties, you will feel dreamier
For there is no hope for kittens with leukaemia.

I'm off to have a crank.