Feline Fantasy

by Geetashree Chatterjee
(New Delhi, India)

A Poem for the Children


It was not very long ago
If I remember correctly so
It happened to be a prickly bright day
Midsummer noon, as they say
The sun was in a frisky mood
Stirring Nature in a scalding stew
The mercury touched almost a fifty
The burning heat played even on the NIFTY
Not a breath of breeze did anywhere blow
To pinch in a relief to the wilting souls
The birds, the bees, the trees, the flies
Simmered, sizzled, singed or cried
All around was ablaze, aglow
Furious, fiery, fuming foe
The sun looked like a ball of fire
Raving, ranting, oozing ire

Squinting at the parched, dreary lane
Shading my eyes from Apollo's rage
Scanned as I the desolate stretch
Longing, thirsting for a dash of rains
What did I see not so afar?
A grey cat strolling in a fur cap!
A sequined pullover buttoned close
A pair of hugging slacks to boast
Warmed her chest a woolen cape
Snazzy, mink-lined, matching shade
Draped round her delicate neck
Was a silken scarf hand made
Forelimbs encased in pink frilled gloves
Ears covered with wooly muffs
Hind limbs buckled in thick high boots
Tail tucked in a kind of soft leather jump suit
A lacy pink parasol held atop
A pair of magenta sunglasses looked real hot
Set on her nose at a rakish angle
Were well in sync with her jingling bangles
Decked up so in a dazzling smile
As she 'cat' walked by after a while
Putting the ramp models to shame
Past my scorching, seething, searing lane
Winked at me in a sagacious way
Nodding her head in a rhythmic sway
As I gaped at her spellbound
Dipping low in a prim bow,
Uttered she a prophecy profound
I say, its gonna snow anytime now?

Lo and behold! As she turned the bend
From where did the clouds rush in at the end
Of the horizon I discerned a gloomy scowl
From a crackling grin to a satanic frown
The mood had changed so swift so soon
To night had turned the scathing noon
Then came the mad wind hollering loud
Followed by a turbulent, torrential bout
As the raindrops kissed the charred land
A soft, white sheet caressed the grounds
Spread over Mother Earth's thirst ridden bed
Counterpanes of downy snowflakes
Adorned the trees, the bush, the shrubs
Shimmering, sparkling crystal crumbs
Children skated and played with snow balls
Bells jingled and Christmas carols
Wafted across the inky, blue sky
'It's a white Christmas', everyone chimed

Parting myself from the joyous crowd
I went a little snooping around
Alas! My dear friends but all in vain
Though I searched hard but could not find again
The preening, primping, simpering dame
With her quaint little parasol of pink fame
Vanished had she, so amazingly queer
My feline fairy like a flying kiss in the air!!!