the cat that conforms to a hollow in the wall won't conform elsewise
Cat Conformity [Senryū]
1
Tag Archives: cats
All-Seeing Feline [Haiku]
a cat on a ledge
peers down with rapt focus.
looking for… what?
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Jaguar [Tanka]
even at rest, the jaguar looks fast - as long as its eyes are focused & its feet pad the ground
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Caged Cat [Tanka]
the caged cat stalks a prey it cannot see, and cannot reach; does the pseudo-prey know? does its heartbeat quicken?
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DAILY PHOTO: Primping Cat on a Rail
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BOOK REVIEW: Inkblot, Vol. 1 by Emma Kubert & Rusty Gladd
Inkblot, Vol. 1 by Emma Kubert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Out: April 7, 2021
A sorceress, Seeker, spills an inkpot into some magic and accidently conjures a cat-ish being that can portal through space, time, and the boundaries of alternate dimensions. Said creature, Inkblot, has adventures by way of said spatial, temporal, and interdimensional travels, finding itself in the midst of battles with dragons, mutineers, a Sphinx, and sundry monsters. It’s a little like Forrest Gump, but with a cat stumbling through historic moments in a magic & dragons fantasy realm.
This volume makes for a cute reading experience, which – I suspect – is what the authors were going for. As anything more than lighthearted entertainment, it suffers problems of story. The most notable problem is that Inkblot is the only character whose story cuts across all six issues, and as a protagonist the cat lacks motivation, emotional experience, or agency. Inkblot is adorably drawn with huge eyes and little else by way of discernable features beyond its cat-like body, but its emotional range is Mark Wahlberg-esque. Arguably, the true protagonist is the cat’s creator, Seeker, but she is not a major player through much of the arc. Which speaks to a second issue, and that’s that issues two and three feel a bit random and disconnected. Both are fine issue level adventures, but they don’t seem to advance the overall story.
If you’re looking for a cute and very lighthearted read, you may want to check this one out. It’s drawn in a vibrant and whimsical fashion and is written to take one’s mind off pandemic woes.
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Three Animal Haiku
I
treed monkeys —
each set of roving eyes
finds its own mark
II
a squirrel sniffs,
smelling the plump acorn
beneath damp leaves
III
a housecat
stalks prey, tiger-like,
no-mind / tail-mind
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POEM: Kittens Can’t Get Their Legs
Little kittens can’t get their legs.
Feet slide as legs sprawl wide.
Writhing amid a pile of siblings.
Wrangled and nudged by mama.
Tiny screams for leeway ungranted.
Bellies bulge with mama’s milk.
They don’t yet look like miniature cats.
They have neither the proportions nor the ears.
They could as well be puppies or opossums.
From any distance mama sanctions.
[National Poetry Month: Poem #19]
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DAILY PHOTO: “Whoa, Déjà Vu” [a Matrix Reference]
Taken in July of 2014 in Kochi (Cochin), Kerala
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DAILY PHOTO: Side-by-Side Cats: or, Two Grumpy Lionesses
Taken in May of 2016 in Zambia
This isn’t a good shot. It’s washed out and the composition is poor.
And yet, when I saw it I couldn’t help but imagine a dialogue between these two lionesses. If it triggers that reaction for you, it’s worth posting it.
Tiger Riding for Beginners 