poetry
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Ode to Cats
Jia Nan Jeng
Age 18+ Category | Spring into Poetry Contest 2023 | San José Public Library
Once upon an ancient time
The Egyptians worshipped cats
Because the cats were so sublime,
They defeated all the rats
The rats were eating Egypt's crops
And the farmers prayed for help
For cats to come like nature's cops
And stop the pests that squeaked and yelped
The cats stretched their mighty paws
And bounded toward the field
They cut the rats with razor claws
With a bite, their fates were sealed
The evil rats were not amused
As they ran, they cursed the cats
Some were bleeding and some were bruised
They vowed revenge through the king of rats
The farmers cheered on their feline friends
and offered them some bread and tea
Still unsure about the odds and ends
Of the king of rats they were sure to see
The cats grew fat as the days grew long
And no king of rats was coming
The farmers had heard he was very strong
But soon they started humming
Then one day, a giant rat from somewhere far
Proclaimed himself the "king of rats"
He came to town in a trolley car
And sent a challenge to the cats
"Fight me," he roared, "I'll beat you all."
"You lazy cats are now far too fat."
"I'm six feet tall while you are small,
so I'll turn your fur into a hat!"
The chubby cats meowed their views
About the giant rat who was very rude
To interrupt their morning snooze,
He must be punished for their bad mood
The cats called the men they tamed
To pick up their sickles and hoes
For the farmers themselves had been claimed
By the very cats they thought they chose
The farmers attacked the king of rats
Swinging their tools a million ways
They fought the rat to protect the cats
Till the king of rats left in a daze
The cats cheered on their human pets
And relished in their victory
To help their cats, the men had no regrets
And the rest of it is history
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