Monday, August 9, 2010

A Tiny Cat of Rome

This was gruesome--fighting over a ham sandwich
with one of the tiny cats of Rome, he leaped
on my arm and half hung on to the food and half
hung on to my shirt and coat. i tore it apart
and let him have his portion, I think I lifted him
down, sandwich and all, on the sidewalk and sat
with my own sandwich beside him, maybe I petted
his bony head and felt him shiver. (rest of poem) from Another Insane Devotion, Gerald Stern

So you couldn't have found something pretty to write about a pretty Roman gatto? No, I'm feeling devilish tonight. Besides, I love this poem by Gerald Stern. (He was born in Pittsburgh, by the way.)

Thank you so much to Julie of Being Ruby for sending me a new version of the Coliseum Cat. She included an earlier version in a package last autumn, along with a beautiful handbag that I won on her blog. Julie publishes beautiful photographs of her travels & of her Sydney. This print sits patiently with many other things-I-love, ready to be placed just-so on a wall above the desk. If, when, if, when the wall is painted. Soon, soon. So I am told.

I love the nerve of this cat but I worry about him (or her), too. Don't blame the big cats for the hideous goings on at the Coliseum. Man invented it. Cats kill to eat, not to entertain themselves & others.

[photograph by Julie Newcombe/Being Ruby/all rights reserved]

5 comments:

Angie Muresan said...

Julie's photography is amazing! Gorgeous photo. And what color will you have the wall painted?

Mary-Laure said...

I am about to choke from the cuteness. Is Giulia jealous that she is not the gattina featured on your blog?

Giulia said...

Angie--I do love Julie's photos. She's always so great to visit. Plus she's so dang nice & funny. About the walls. I don't know. I've yet to hear just what I can choose. If I have little time to ponder, then I'm going for white-white, not the eggshell junk on here now. I have plenty of stuff to warm it up later. Anything so that it looks clean & fresh.

M-L--I know. My heart breaks every time I'm around these groups of gattini. Giulia is showing profound indifference to this & just about everything the last few days. She has the mid-August blahs. Me, too.

xx

Julie@beingRUBY said...

Dear Susan
Thanks for the mention.. Kitty is sitting pretty here on your pages... Hope you get your new walls soon..

I came over yesterday to comment but had my usual internet issues.. Have fun xxx Julie

Giulia said...

Hi Julie. Everyone loves Coliseum Cat. Walls will have to wait a bit, but the important thing: the bath, is a 'go' I learned today (11 Aug). I've been wondering about you. Don't have your new (real) address. If you see this, pls send. So sorry about the continuing internetty-mess. xx