Notes From Underfoot

[resonant]

Who has seen the cat?
Neither I nor you.
But when you fall and break your leg,
The cat is passing through.

Who has seen the cat?
Neither you nor I.
But when you tumble down the stairs,
The cat is passing by.

Comments

[reginagiraffe]

*grin*

Sounds like it could be a couple of verses in this.

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

That is a fantastic poem! I bookmarked it to read to the kidlet when she gets up tomorrow.

[cereta.livejournal.com]

Brrrr.

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

We have a black cat. we have a gray carpet in our bedroom. Our bedroom light does not work. The cat has located the most direct path from the door to the bed, and every night he lies in it.

[kireseth.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear. Are you broken? I hope not.

I've always loved the original of this little poem.

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

Amazingly, none of us, including the cat, are permanently damaged. But it's not for lack of effort on his part.

[kireseth.livejournal.com]

Whew! I'm glad all is well.

Sometimes it seems like a miracle I haven't yet had a major wipeout with one of my cats, especially the big one who tends to zig when I zag.

[barkley.livejournal.com]

My mom quotes that poem all the time whenever someone mentions the word wind. (And trust me, this can get old when sailing with her. *g*)

But I hope that you are OK!

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

Yes, I should think that would get old.

I said to the spouse, "What do you suppose the cat is thinking when he gets right under our feet like that?" and he said, "He's thinking: Me and my human. We walk along together. Sometimes my human affectionately bumps me with his foot."

[copperbadge.livejournal.com]

I had no idea anyone else had ever even heard of Who Has Seen The Wind. *impressed*

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid it's in every kids' poetry anthology ever created. Plus it's set to music on that Carly & Lucy Simon album that is apparently never, ever going to be released on CD.

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

Wait, it must be on some recorded something, because I know the melody...hmmm.

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

If you ever find it, I wants it! That album is the only reason I still have a turntable.

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

I've never heard the Simons sing it, but what I'm remembering is that I sang it as a choral piece way back in the 60's.

[copperbadge.livejournal.com]

The only place I've ever seen it is...well, yes, in a children's poetry anthology actually entitled Who Has Seen The Wind -- it's a series of poems paired up with artworks from the Boston MFA, which I had as a child. Which definitely confused me the first time I visited the MFA, because I hadn't realised the book drew all its art from the museum, and I kept wondering why everything looked so familiar....

[norah.livejournal.com]

♥

[ellen-fremedon.livejournal.com]

:-D I hope you and the cat are in one piece.

Wait, no. I hope you and the cat are in two, quite separate, pieces.

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

hee! Sometimes I think he's trying to merge us into one creature.

[lydia-petze.livejournal.com]

That is one of the truthiest truths I have ever read.

Chatting Cats

[huro.livejournal.com]

Does your cat know my cat?
Do they take tea together?
Just YESTERDAY! I was going down the stairs with a basket of clothes and the cat was just THERE! I tripped over her! At least she chose to materialize on the bottom step eh?

Re: Chatting Cats

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

They are all pure evil, aren't they? The black cat is worse than most, probably because he's such a big, friendly beast. He just wants to be where we are. (Plus, anytime anyone gets up from a chair, he has to run for the kitchen, because maybe this means food!)

[theantipam.livejournal.com]

'Tis a puzzlement - for as many times as I've inadvertently kicked her, dropped things on her, spilled hot liquids on her, spilled cold liquids on her, and stomped on her paws, my kitty STILL likes to walk underfoot.

Cats are so smart - WHY won't she learn this particular lesson???? I fear that she will learn it the very hard way - as a kitty pancake. *sigh*

I'm glad you and your cat were not permanently harmed in the making of this adventure!

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

I know! You'd think they'd learn! And that they'd notice that it takes longer for me to get their food if I can't walk across the kitchen!

[viva-gloria.livejournal.com]

oh yes indeed! I used to have two black cats. They liked the dark corner by the kitchen door. (Current stripy monster just pretends to be a stair, of the moving kind.)

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

Yes. They know where they blend in. For instance, the Siamese is the same color as the Berber carpet, whereas the black cat is the same color as the shadow under the bottom step.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

*giggles like mad*

[frostfox.livejournal.com]

I warn guests to always put the light on if they go to the loo in the middle of the night, despite the ambient street-light. If it's not the grey tabby taking up an entire stairs, it will be one of his beanie babies, positioned in just the right spot.
Oh, and just because there was nothing there on your way *up* the stairs, there is nothing to say that there will be nothing there when you come out of the bathroom to go *down* the stairs.

FF

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

yes! Cat toys can be wherever cats are not! The kidlet likes to make them these elaborate constructions out of big cardboard boxes, which they run in and out of and use as hiding places when they stalk, but they seem to know that if they bump a box enough times, it will edge out into the path of foot traffic.

[laurie-ky.livejournal.com]

That poem (original) was my favorite in second grade. I go to people's homes for my job and their cats just get under my feet, climb on me, and plaster themselves up against me. I totally ignore them, after tossing them off of me, but they just come back for more. Hope you didn't get bruised up.

Laurie

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

I've read that the reason cats home in on people who aren't cat fans is because the cat fans are looking them in the eye, and they don't like that, so they go and climb on the people who aren't looking at them. I think it's pure perversity, though.

[maya231.livejournal.com]

This is great! It took me a minute to remember why it sounded so familiar.

[orpheus-samhain.livejournal.com]

How true *sighs*

[springwoof.livejournal.com]

huh, I've never read that poem. Obviously, it resonates with cat fans everywhere.

my Old Dog always loved to hang around my feet, but he was sensible enough to stay at least a good 6 inches away, and would skitter away if one of us said briskly: "coming through!"

However, now that he is Very Old and Blind, all common sense has also deserted him, although not, apparently, the desire to be underfoot. The Spouse and I joke that he is Psychic, because, no matter if he was all the way across the room 15 seconds ago, when you are ready to walk somewhere, there he is, right underfoot just in time to trip you. Doubly so if you are carrying something and can't see him, or are at the top of the stairs, or carrying something hot, or sharp (or otherwise dangerous). He's just talented that way....

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

It's amazing, isn't it, that more house pets aren't accidentally killed or maimed? I know two people who are currently stumping around in foot casts because of their kittens.