Head in the Oven: Sylvia’s Cat
Head in the Oven.
This is a collection of poetry from my Masters degree in 2017. Poetry turned out to be one of my non optional modules. I’m not a poet by any means so I just went along with it. The brief was to take a poet and write a collection of poems inspired by them. I chose professionally tortured Sylvia Plath, blissfully unaware the lecturer was a huge fan. Said lecturer was offended. Naturally.
15:58
One hour and two minutes precisely until my dinner, succulent meaty chunks of Felix.
Lovingly dished up with a Hier bitte schön
I rub against you, appreciative.
Mrrrr…
Ich…
I ignore the fact you didn’t settle for a naming cliché.
I’m not Tibbles, Frisky or Tiger.
No. I’m Daddy.
Why? I have no idea.
My biscuit bowl is empty!
16:02
Fifty eight minutes precisely until my dinner, succulent meaty chunks of Felix.
I ignore your reading the ingredients in kindergarten German.
I politely excuse your Aussprache
It’s all about the anticipation.
My biscuit bowl is still empty!
16:10
Fifty minutes precisely until my dinner, succulent meaty chunks of Felix.
Today is different. Your chair is cold.
I stand in front of the door.
Door!
Should I go out?
Should I stay in?
Should I hover in the entrance and drink in the frigid winter air?
I ignore your anguished shivers of cold.
That’s when I spot it.
Horror of horrors.
A sight that chills my fur and curdles my purr.
My biscuit bowl is empty!
16:20
Forty minutes precisely until my dinner, succulent meaty chunks of Felix.
I ignore your human weirdness, your ears in the wrong place, glued randomly to the side of your head.
Your eyes are hopeless. Blind in darkness.
Your legs, they stick out like yule logs from the oven.
I prod one, claws delicately retracted.
You have 38 minutes and 40 seconds!
There is no response save a subtle sizzle deep in the stove.
Do you not know or care?
My biscuit bowl is empty!
18:30
Minus one hour thirty minutes.
Comfortable and full, atop the neighbour’s window ledge,
I gaze out, content.
This is the life.
I’m now Frisky whilst you, decidedly are not.
My biscuit bowl is full!
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