Poetry

THURSDAY THANKFULS & POETRY

Thankful Thursday

Each Thursday we are happy to share the things for which we are thankful.

Kitties Blue are most thankful for all the holiday cards they have received. They have gotten at least five for each one Dad Tom and I have received.

Though Sawyer had a small focal seizure last evening, he has been seizure free for a little over three weeks. We are all so grateful.

 

 

Kitties Blue and I are thankful for the support and friendship each of you offer us.

Thankful Thursday is a blog hop hosted by everyone’s friend, Brian. If you’d like to participate, post on your blog for what you are thankful and then click on the badge below to link up with the hop.

 

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

Thursday is also the day some of us write poetry based on an inspiration photo provided by Angel Sammy and Teddy from Two Spoiled Cats. Here’s this week’s photo.

 

 

You Have to Suffer to Be Beautiful

 

All this primping is such a pain
To look pretty for another Great Dane.
I am certain he doesn’t even like me,
But my parents have invited him for tea
To see if he’d make a good mate,
So the two of us might propagate
And give them a litter of puppies!

© Janet Buickerood Blue – 12/15/2021

The title I selected for my poem is something my mother used to say to me often when I was a child. The photo reminded me of it, as she often said this after setting my hair with metal curlers, which I would then have to sleep on.

Check out Two Spoiled Cats for next week’s inspiration photo.  And make certain to read Angel Sammy’s poem. He transmits it to Teddy each week from the Rainbow Bridge, and he is a first-rate poet.

 

PROWLING PUSSY CATS

Throughly Poetic Thursday

Cooper Murphy is our poet this week for Teddy and Angel Sammy’s poetry day at Two Spoiled Cats. Not only did he write the poem, but he also took the liberty of slightly altering the inspiration photo. As Cooper Murphy and Teddy are BFFs, he’s hoping he won’t get into too much trouble for doing this.

This is our altered photo followed by Cooper’s poem.

 

poetry inspiration photo

 

 ON THE PROWL

We’ve strolled this market,
and our paws are wet.
Why we came here, we now regret.

We’ve searched high & low for silvervine
Or possibly some tasty, fresh nip.
Whatever, it wasn’t worth the trip.

Tomatoes, potatoes, and spinach,
Zucchini, turnips and chard…
All this searching is too hard.

Plodding along with no umbrella,
We’ve meowed with every vendor,
But none had nip or vine to tender.

I was given a carrot, but I’m not a bunny.
A nice lady offered Sawyer some escarole,
But that sounds like something for a mole.

All this walking has made us quite hungry,
And we believe it must be time for dinner
As we feel ourselves getting physically thinner.

With each step our empty tummies
Are loudly rumbling and growling,
So for today we’ll end our prowling.

If the sun is shining bright tomorrow,
We may come back for more searching,
As of nip and vine we are most deserving!

© Cooper Murphy Blue 04/11/2018

 

poetry badgeEach week Angel Sammy writes and transmits a poem from the Rainbow Bridge. He is an amazing poet, and we suggest you check out his poem by hopping on over to Two Spoiled Cats. To do so click on his badge. Along with Sammy’s poem you will find links to other poems in the comments.

Thankful Thursday

This is Brian’s weekly blog hop. It gives us the opportunity to share for what we are thankful. Neither Kitties Blue nor I have anything special for which to give thanks. We always are grateful for warmer weather, good friends, good health and a happy family. So that is our share for today.

To join Brian’s hop click on his badge.

 

DANDELIONS – THE HARBINGERS OF SPRING

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

Today’s inspiration photo is a beauty—full of the colors of spring.

 

Tulips in spring.

 

Spring showed up here a couple of weeks ago when the daffodils began to open. It took off almost as quickly as it arrived, leaving us once again very cloudy and cold. We thought the sun had abandoned us for good. To add even more misery, the winter snows finally arrived. It kept covering up those daffodils, but once the snow melted, those hardy little flowers perked right back up again.

Here is our poem, inspired by the last winter weather and this photograph.

 

Dandelions – The Harbingers of Spring

We’ve been doggedly waiting for spring
Hanging out on the catio in inclement
Weather, watching snow falling in March
And burying the daffodils that bloomed early.
After a frigid winter, the late snows; though, pretty,
Were unwelcome. Some think robins
Are the first sign spring has arrived, but they
Never really leave here…just winter in the
Trees unseen. Whatever you think marks the
Beginning of spring is probably different
Than what others think: Is it major league
Baseball’s spring training? Maybe it is prom
Season or even flea season. Whatever
It may be for you, Mom knew for certain
Yesterday that spring had finally made
An appearance. It wasn’t the 75
Degree temperature or the light rain.
It was the bright yellow dandelions dotting
A nearby lawn that announced spring’s arrival.

© Janet Buickerood Blue 03/28/2018

So seeing a robin around here does not mean spring is imminent. Regardless, I am sharing a photo I originally posted in May, 2015.

 

Robins in Spring

 

The photo was taken in our carport. Each year new nests are built or old ones refurbished and a robin or sparrow will move in. This robin has three hungry babies to feed. It will be several weeks before we see any nest activity or hatchlings.

Each week Two Spoiled Cats, challenge us to write a poem inspired by the photo Mom Pam posts the previous Thursday. And each week Angel Sammy writes an exceptional poem, which he transmits to Teddy from the Rainbow Bridge. Even if you don’t write a poem, it is always worth a trip to the Two Spoiled Cats’ blog to read his poem. While there you will find other poems or links to poems in the comment section.

To pop over and see what Sammy wrote, click on his badge.

Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday is a blog hop hosted by our pal, Brian. To participate, you only need to tell for what you are thankful, visit Brian’s blog and let him and his fursibs know and then enter your link for the hop. You can do that by clicking on his badge.

We have two thankfuls this week. The first is for dandelions if they really do mean spring is here. The second is for the badge we earned at Two Spoiled Cats. We had the right answer to this week’s Tuesday Teaser. We weren’t the first to guess correctly, but we were right so we got this cool badge.

 

That’s it for today. We hope, wherever you live, spring has arrived and you are enjoying some fragrant window whiffies.

 

COOPER AND TED’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

Cooper Murphy is our poet this week. He wrote a poem about himself and his BFF, Teddy. He interpreted the inspiration photo a bit liberally, but then it’s meant to be just that…inspiration.

Here’s the photo followed by Cooper’s poem.

 

Cat Scout Adventure

 

Cat Scout Adventure

I’m a Cat Scout, and I like to explore
Whether in a cave or at the shore.
But I must be careful and super vigilant,
So I don’t have any type of accident.
In fact it’s always good to have a buddy,
Like my gingersnap pal, Cat Scout Teddy.
We can watch out for each other
Exactly the same as real brothers.
Helping each other up if we fall in the dirt
Or going for help if one of us is hurt.
We have our compass and a snack,
Rope and a first aid kit in our backpack.
As Cat Scouts we remain purrpared
To keep our wits and never get scared.
Teddy and I are strong and brave.
Now please excuse us while we explore this cave.

© Cat Scout Cooper Murphy Blue – 03/21/2018

Two Spoiled Cats, Teddy and his big brother, Angel Sammy, host Thoroughly Poetic Thursday. Mom Pam selects a photo to serve as inspiration. And each week Sammy transmits a poem from the Rainbow Bridge. it is always exceptional and not to be missed. To read it and find links to other poems in the comment section, click on the badge below.

Thankful Thursday

Cooper Murphy not only asked to write today’s poem but also requested the opportunity to do today’s thankful. His thankful also pertains to Cat Scouts. He, Teddy and Cat Scout Ætheling participated in a Cheerleader Workshop and tried out for the Cheer Team at Cat Scout University. All three made the Cheer Team and received certificates, badges and their official cheer uniforms.

Cooper Murphy will share the cheer he wrote for the try-outs in a future post.

 

Cat Scout CSU Cheer Team Member Cooper Murphy

 

Cooper Murphy would like to thank Scout Anya for conducting the workshop and the judges, Sammy, Gracie and Raz, for selecting him for the Cheer Team.

Thankful Thursday is a blog hop hosted by Brian’s Home. To join in, click on his badge.

 

 

WEARIN’ O’ THE GREEN

Caturday Art

 

 

Sawyer is decked out in green (and yellow) today in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. I selected a filter from Painnt entitled, Greenify, with the hope of getting something worthy of a St. Patrick’s Day post. I was so pleased with the outcome that I didn’t add any additional effects from Painnt but stuck with the original. The green and yellow border flowers were added with piZap and the frame with Picasa.

I selected this photo of Sawyer on the catio specifically for how “busy” the photo is, hoping this would make for interesting art. And it did.

The “Wearin’ O’ the Green” photo is our entry in Athena Cat Goddess Wise Kitty’s Caturday Art blog hop. To join in the fun or view arty submissions from other bloggers, click on her badge.

As promised yesterday, Mauricio is sharing his St. Paddy’s Day limerick from 2015. (If you’d like to see some additional St Patrick’s Day limericks by Kitties Blue, click here.)

 

 

Celebrating St. Gertrude

March 17 is also the feast day of another important saint. St. Gertrude of Nivelles, who lived from 621 to 659, is the patron saint of gardeners, travelers, widows, recently deceased people, the sick, the poor and the mentally ill. People call upon St. Gertrude for protection from mice, rats, fever, insanity and mental illness. But first and foremost, St. Gertrude is the patron saint of cats and cat lovers. So while your hoisting a green beer or two today, give a toast to St. Gertrude.

Sunday Selfies: A Birthday and a Remembrance

Tomorrow will be a big day on the Sunday Selfies blog hop. We will be celebrating the seventh birthday of Giulietta and Angel Fiona. This is a day filled with joy and sadness for all the Kitties Blue. We are happy to be celebrating with Giulietta but wish Fiona was still here to enjoy her special day with all of us. In honor of her birthday, Giulietta will be your host for tomorrow’s hop.

Additionally we will be remembering Maggie. Maggie is mommy’s friend, Mary Jane’s, woofie who recently received her wings.

We hope to see lots of you here tomorrow for the birthday celebration and then hope you’ll stick around and join the hop.

 

A HAIKU AND THANKS

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

This week’s inspiration photo for Angel Sammy and Teddy’s poetry challenge is majestic in scale. Unfortunately my poem is not. In fact, it is just an itty bitty, title-less haiku. I apologize to our hosts for not doing better.

 

To a spectator
Obstacles may seem daunting
Or worth the challenge

To read Sammy’s poem, which is always inspired, click on his poetry badge. If you check out the comments, you will find links to the poems of other bloggers as well.

Thankful Thursday

The Cat on My Head has been added to two more “Best” Lists. We are happy to be included with many of our favorite blogs at  Best for Pets.

The second is Top 25 Pet Blogs 2018 at Stop the Fleas. Again many of our favorite blogs are on the list along with The Cat on My Head.

We are always happy to be honored in this way regardless of the sites’ motives. We feel every opportunity available for individuals to find and follow our blog is a good thing for us.

Thankful Thursday is a blog hop hosted by our friend Brian. To join the hop, click on his badge.

MONKEY BUSINESS

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

We’re back again today to join Angel Sammy and Teddy in writing a bit of poetry. Sammy transmits an always fantastic poem from the Rainbow Bridge and invites his friends to join in the fun. For a long time we used the letters of the alphabet for our prompts. Now Mom Pam provides a photo each week to stimulate our imaginations. The photo this week is sort of silly and so is our poem. We added a caption to the photo as well.

If you enjoy writing and/or reading poetry, drop in at Two Spoiled Cats (click on their badge) to find links to other poems in the comments.

 

Monkey Business

Darn…I think I overexposed this!

 

Opposable Thumbs Up

Humans take photos when they visit the zoo,
As it turns out monkeys take photos too.
Do you think they find humans intriguing
Or is their interest merely fleeting?
They probably think our looks are absurd,
As our bodies are not totally furred.
Perhaps they’re interested in anthropogenesis
And wonder if humans are related to the Rhesus.
Or perhaps it’s just the camera this monkey appreciates,
And he could care less if he and humans relate,
Though 93 percent of our DNA is the same,
Being your relative he probably won’t claim.
But both of you can take all the photos you wish,
As you have opposable thumbs, unlike fish!

© Janet Buickerood Blue 03/07/2018

Thankful Thursday

Even though the cold weather has returned along with the eye “icks” to Misty May and Mau, we have a thankful today. We are thankful to have a little color in our otherwise winter drab yard. Daffodils, forsythia and quince are blooming. Now we know for certain that spring is coming. We’ll really be thankful when the temperatures catch up.

We are joining Brian’s Thankful Thursday Blog Hop. After posting for what you are grateful, click on Brian’s badge and join the hop.

 

I WONDER

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

Every Thursday we join our good pals, the Two Spoiled Cats, Angel Sammy and Teddy, for their poetical Thursday. Each week, their mom, Pam, posts a photo to act as our inspiration for the following week. This week’s photo is below followed by my poem. 

Sammy writes and transmits a poem from the Rainbow Bridge, and each one is a masterpiece. Even if you don’t want to write a poem and participate, his poems are a must read. By clicking on his badge, you’ll be able to read his poem as well as find links in the comments to other poems.

 

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday  inspiration

 

I Wonder

Some days I feel as if I am on
a bridge to nowhere. Not knowing
my purpose or if I matter.
Does anybody even care that
I am wandering back and forth?
If someone sees me, do they wonder
who I am? Are they curious
about my life’s story? Or are they too
wandering in a dusky mauve haze,
asking themselves the same questions?
If we met at the center of that bridge,
would we find answers? Or would we
pass each other without even a nod.
I wonder.

© Janet Buickerood Blue 02/28/2018

 

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

 

I don’t understand this poem. I don’t wonder about anything except why the food bowl is empty. What’s up with that anyway? I’m a growing kitten.

Right now about the only things Sawyer understands are how to use the cat door to the catio and that he gets fed in the living room by himself.

Thankful Thursday

We like to participate each week in Brian’s Thankful Thursday blog hop. This week we are most grateful that the eye “icks” have left the premises. Everytime I say or even think that, I knock on wood. I did just now after typing that. Kitties Blue are thankful for everyone’s purrs, prayers and POTP during the siege.

To join the blog hop, click on Brian’s badge.

 

 

POEM OF PAIN AND LOSS

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

This is the picture Teddy and Angel Sammy’s mom, Pam, from Two Spoiled Cats, posted as the prompt for today’s poem.

 

 

This is an inspiring photo, but I debated on whether or not to even write a poem today or simply drape this page in black. The school shooting in Florida yesterday placed a pall on what should have been a day of love, friendship and happiness. Though I cannot begin to comprehend what the survivors and families impacted by yesterday’s event are experiencing, I decided to write about the sad and senseless shootings, which have become too prevalent in today’s culture.

Pain and Loss

 Another insane act of violence
Turned a traditional day of love
Into one of hate and senseless killing.
Our civilization is unraveling.
Acceptance of one’s personal failings
And ability to manage petty grievances
Just does not exist for some people.
They place blame on the innocent
Then end, change and ruin lives forever.
My heart aches for those who died today
And for those who lost someone today.
Valentine’s Day forever will evoke
Feelings of pain and loss for parents,
Who will never again see their child,
Or delight in their growth and accomplishments.
May they find some comfort in knowing
Those compassionate people of the world
Grieve with them and send love and prayers.

© Janet Buickerood Blue 02/14/2018

I apologize to Teddy, Pam and Angel Sammy for such a sad contribution to poetry day. I do think they will understand.

To read Sammy’s poem, which he transmits from the Rainbow Bridge each week, click on his badge. You also will find poems and links to blogs posting poems in the comments.

Thankful Thursday

It does become increasingly difficult to be thankful, but we are exceedingly grateful to all those who left us Valentine greetings yesterday. We will visit you today. Mom says she is truly thankful that she grew up at a time when the worst thing happening in schools were kids smoking in the bathroom.

We cherish each and everyone of our friends and pray that none were personally touched by yesterday’s violence.

Thankful Thursday is a blog hop hosted each week by Biran’s Home. To join, click on his badge.

ARRGH…A PIRATE POEM BY KITTIES BLUE

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

Another Thursday and another poem. This week Teddy and Angel Sammy provided this exquisite picture of a sailing ship. We had to think long and hard before we came up with a poem. We didn’t want to trivialize the majesty of this, but in the end that is exactly what happened.

 

Poem "Arrgh"

 

ARRGH

Each year on one special day
We think its fun to dress-up and play
At being pirates and scalawags.
We fly our skull & cross bone flags
When we board our magical ship.
Then from blog to blog we skip,
Saying, “arrgh” and swilling grog,
Hoping not to get lost in an ocean fog.
We take on silly pirate names
And search for booty that we can claim.
But the other 364 days of the year
From big bodies of water we try to stay clear.
It might be fun to see a great big whale,
But Kitties Blue don’t want to go for a sail.
Though this sailing ship looks mighty fine,
We’ll stay warm and dry on the coastline.

© Kitties Blue 02/07/2018

To see our 2017 Meow Like a Pirate post, click here.

To read another fabulous poem from Angel Sammy, who transmits from the Rainbow Bridge each week, click on his badge. You also will find links to other poems as well poems from other bloggers in the comments.

Thankful Thursday

We’d like to say we are thankful for the end of the eye “icks” but… Cooper Murphy finished his oral meds yesterday.  Unfortunately his eyes remain very squinty. We will continue the eye ointment for a few more days. Calista Jo is now on her second go round. We put ointment in her eyes last night and will see if we can get oral meds for her today without another trip to see Dr. Neel.

As for being thankful, we are. Astrid, Lisbeth and Giulietta remain uninfected.

We are joining Brian’s Thankful Thursday blog hop. To join the hop and let your fellow bloggers know for what you are thankful this week, click on the badge below.