Villanelle: Two Cats

This morning I saw two cats sitting on the ledge outside my house and wanted to write a poem about them, but a Haiku was too short and I didn’t want to write either a Choka or a Tanka.  I saw Shainbird’s lovely poem  trying to identify the form I came upon the Villanelle.  It’s a sticky form, but I thought I’d give it a try.

Villanelle

Two Cats

Two cats sat on a ledge at dawn,
Companionable as is rarely seen;
Lovely is friendship in the morn!

I stood there and our eyes were drawn
And I know how a cat’s sight is keen;
I thought, two cats to immortalize!

I rummaged in my purse with a yawn
Quickly, as to catch that special scene;
Lovely is friendship in the morn!

But the time it took, one was gone
I guess it should have been foreseen;
I thought, two cats to immortalize!

Alas, one had scampered like a faun:
“How could fate be so mean!”
Lovely is friendship in the morn.

I consoled myself as the Fox, woebegone:
“AH! The shot wouldn’t have been keen.”
Lovely is friendship in the morn!
I thought, two cats to immortalize!

2015 – Edited Version: 

Two cats sat in the yard at dawn,
Companionable as is rarely seen;
Lovely was their friendship to look upon …

I stood there and our eyes were drawn
And we know how a cat’s sight is keen;
Two cats sat in the yard at dawn…

I grabbed some paper and black crayon
Quickly, so to catch that special scene;
Lovely was their friendship to look upon …

I was too late the scene had been redrawn
I guess it should have been foreseen –
Two cats sat in the yard at dawn …

There was just one cat upon the lawn
Where two had so recently been
Lovely was their friendship to look upon  ….

A portrait of two cats could not be drawn
So a poem I wrote as you have seen …
Two cats sat in the yard at dawn
Lovely was their friendship to look upon .

© G.s.k. ‘15