Am I a cat? [poem]

Begoña Martínez

Am I a cat?

I bask in the sun,
I lay in your lap,
I find my own way,
I don’t like other cats.

You find my white hair
On anything black.
I’m fastidiously clean
And I love to nap.

Am I happy to see you?
Without a single doubt.
It’s not like I chase you
But I’m always around.

I’m sure that you know
What I do at night.
I come back to you
I’m glad it’s enough.

When I climb to bed,
I claim the warmest spot.
Those arms on my chest
Make me wanna purr.

Except when they don’t.
I’m up, I’m awake.
I jump up and down.
Get outta my way!

I’d like to be more human
In other people’s eyes.
They see me as a mutant
I see through all their lies.

I might be a bit feline
But I’m not your cat
I don’t own you either
You can hold on to that.

—@minibego, Rome, Italy, november 2015

Cat’s eyes, by Martin Cooper (CC BY)

2
POST COMENT

11 Mar

Machete

poetry // 0

Translation (WIP) of the Amanda Palmer song in memory of my German mom, Benita —the Anthony Martignetti of my life. She died last year.

08 Jul

César me manda una cadena de poemas: vale. Elijo uno que me descubrió su bella esposa María: Recuerda, cuerpo, de Kavafis. Hoy dedicado a Kirie Yanis Varoufakis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ0kuabgIag Σώμα, θυμήσου όχι μόνο το πόσο αγαπήθηκες, όχι μονάχα τα κρεββάτια όπου πλάγιασες, αλλά κ’ εκείνες τες επιθυμίες που για σένα γυάλιζαν μες στα μάτια φανερά, κ’

03 Sep

I’m Nica: a short note from Niquinohomo, Nicaragua

prose // 0

Yesterday I visited the birthplace of Sandino in Nicaragua: Niquinohomo. Yo soy del pueblo que un niño en Niquinohomo soñó. Soy del pueblo de Sandino y Benjamín Zeledón —Yo soy de un pueblo sencillo, by Luis Enrique Mejía Godoy (see the complete lyrics and my translation below) Benjamín Zeledón’s fortress —the political prison We