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Have you ever wondered why a cat lands on all fours or why its tongue is rough or if he really has nine lives? These are some Wonders you can explore on Wonderopolis.
I am a cat owner. I’ve had many cats in my life from my first cat Tommy to the meanest cat ever, Mimi. Years ago I picked up this beautiful poetry collection by Patricia MacLachlan and her daughter, Emily. The illustrations were done by one of my favorite artists, Barry Moser. I could spend time petting his cats. I love the poems because they do not rhyme. I am not a rhyming poet, and more and more, I embrace this fact of my poet-life. These poems captured the personalities of each cat from Tough Tom who climbs through the window to Peony who under all her fur is little.
I asked my students to notice the literary elements. We talked about many: personification, onomatopoeia, metaphor, simile, imagery, and alliteration. When writing our own poems, let’s try to use at least one of these elements.
Reed wrote while I read the poems. He was thinking about what Shakespeare said about the nine lives of a cat, “For three he plays, for three he strays and for the last three he stays.” – See more at: Wonderopolis
Bad Kitty
For three, he plays and plays with me.
Why, is it a sight to see.
The way he’ll twirl and whirl looking like a squirrel,
I start to wonder is he a boy or a girl.Next three he stays in the allies on the streets.
Many people who look may think he’s sweet.
Trust me he’s not. I’m not sure he loves me.The last he will stay and curl up with me
as I know I must let him free
onto heaven with a cat trinity.
–Reed
Tyler has experience with cats, too. His poem reflects found lines from Maclachlan’s poems.
A Cat’s Needs
The black shadows of the night,
Stalking their prey so silently,
Quietly licking your ankles,
and lying on your face
not wanting to move.
They have many things that
they like to do.
–Tyler
Emily illustrated her poem and took a picture of me and Jack (the lemur) holding it up.
Mimi has no interest in poetry or Henry.
Reflections on the Teche 
Reed is on to something! I’ve always had a cat or two – they are wonderfully original creatures, aren’t they? No two cats are ever quite alike. Thanks for sharing the MacLachlan book, too, it’s one I didn’t know of.
Hooray for poems about cats! Can’t ever get enough of those in my opinion. I applaud all three of these student poets, but my favorite here is Tyler’s poem. “…licking your ankles,/and lying on your face/not wanting to move.” LOL. “They have many things that they like to do”– yes, they do! So many of which are profoundly annoying, yet we love them anyway, don’t we? And mimi– SO adorable with her Charlie Chaplin mustache!
Don’t let Mimi’s looks fool you.
Thanks for your comments. I will share with Tyler. I’ve had him for a year and a half and his writing has grown by leaps. He is one I am totally proud of.
I love introducing children to wonderful poems and watching them use the poems as springboards. These student poems contain some great images – black shadows of the night, welcoming rubs and the alliterative whirl and twirl and squirrel. Our daughter’s cat has a foot fetish! He loves to rub his nose over and over against slippers or feet! Is your tuxedo cat Mimi really mean? Aw, c’m on.
How could Kurious Kitty not like this post? Well done, cat lovers!
My 13 year old daughter is learning about alliteration, onomatopeia and haiku over the past several weeks, and she is loving it. Glad to see so many lovely photos here and beautiful poetry, as always.