I live on the second-to-the-bottom street
Of a mining town built on an older section
Of an open-pit copper mine’s steps. There are
Two levels above me, behind me. Some years ago,
My husband built me a railroad-tie garden. It’s gone
Wild now, but is the boundary for new kittens
Who enter our house, until they climb the cliff.

It’s traumatic to me! There’s a small leeway of brush
And rocky dirt before the upper road begins! Small
Kittens have no business up there! But, eventually,
Around four months, they all attempt it. We have
Six house cats, right now, most due to ‘rescuing’ by my
Daughters, and at least that many that didn’t make it
Past the ‘one year’ mark.

So, last year, the youngest cat belonging to my
Younger daughter disappeared, just before she got home
From a summer in Wisconsin. And, there was a box
Of give-away-kittens at our only grocery store, after.
One looked just like the one she lost. I passed it by,
At first, but drove back and claimed the smidgen
As my prize, as a surprise for my daughter. That
Would be Smitty, don’t ask, I don’t remember. Little
Smitty came to live with us, of my doing, the seventh,
Then. My husband was less than happy.

As Smitty grew up, he had lots of cat influences
To teach him kitty/catdom. And, he finally climbed
The cliff. I was outside, sitting on top of the old
picnic table, kept telling him not to do it, but he did,
Anyway. I yelled for my daughter, told her to run past
the last house and climb the path to the road above
To capture our wayward cat! She yelled down
She couldn’t see him, I told her to make noise in
The brush, and that did it!

As I watched the top of my garden’s twelve foot high
Cliff, a kitten face split the tallish browned grass, almost
Exactly halfway the length, eyes surprised-kitten-wide!
Not being able to stop in his panic, momentum carried
His form as far as it could get, and then gravity made
Him drop straight down, like a rock! It only took seconds!
I was laughing hysterically, though worried, when he came
Shooting out from under my giant mound of lily plants,
Flew past me with thudding feet and leapt through the
Torn bottom screen of the back screen door, our version
Of a kitty door, and disappeared.

My daughter was yelling “What, Mom, what?”, but, I
Couldn’t answer, I was laughing so hard! She went running
Down the path and burst into the backyard, by that time,
I was able to tell her the story, between bouts of gasping
And giggling, sending her into her own laughter-heights
From my below-perspective!

Of course, we didn’t find Smitty for hours after, he found
A spot to curl up in to lick away his mussiness and sleep
Off his trauma. I continued to have laughing fits the rest
Of the day! Stupid kitten.

Erin Elizabeth Kelly-Moen
© Copyright 7/19/07