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This page is dedicated to poetry about animals.
Without animals, my life would be very grey indeed and my three rescue Persians are most important in my life.
If you enjoy my poetry, please help Chapelhouse Persian Rescue, a wonderful non-profit rescue in the UK and my top animal cause, please use the donation button provided below.
All donations will be eligible to receive:
In Remembrance of Future Present in pdf format
This will be emailed to you, provided your donation is accompanied by a message containing your request and an accurate email address:
All international rights reserved by the author.
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Mustangs
It is always night
with a storm coming.
Hooves, breaking ground:
we will never taste the bit,
never accept the saddle.
We prance & paw,
circle each other.
Unaccustomed to corrals.
No one understands our wild language.
Hunted too often for trust,
our freedom is a battle.
It is always night
& we see in shadow.
© Lydia Howell, 1990
Lydia Howell produces a weekly show 'Catalyst: politics & culture" archived at http://www.kfai.org
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The Butterfly
Today a butterfly
Lighted on my shoulder.
For several seconds it sat there,
Gently Wavering its wings.
This gentle fragile creature
Cared not that there was war,
It cared not that there was turmoil,
It only sat peacefully,
Wavering its wings.
This tiny creature,
So peaceful,
So calm.
Living for the moment
Not caring for the future.
It enjoys life as it comes.
Why can we not live this way?
(c)E Fletcher
http://www.freewebs.com/ericbradleyfletcher/ |
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Jealousy.
(to Apricot the Woolly Bear and the Emperor Emu Sumax)
The white cat stamped…
The grey cat closed his eyes
And purred.
He’d spoken much of Love,
Though no word passed his lips;
Aloud, for all to hear,
He crooned and chirped
And now Love’s Serenade had won reward…
The white cat stamped…
In blue-eyed innocence,
Diana Dors,
Intense and sultry in her silver fur,
Outrage arrayed in velvet,
She pawed the ground…
The white cat stamped…
She raised her pretty voice,
Indignation
Plain for all to see;
And written there
In show of fur -
“You’ll have no other god but me…”
©Lisa Gabriel, May 16th 2005 |
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For just a moment, peace...
V.O.A.
I rode on the wings of an angel
a tiger angel
because my angels are like that
they have fur over their bodies
muzzles in their faces
long wagging tails
and a wonderful smile
they carry me on their back
and roar their contentment
then, together
we fly through the dark night sky
listening to the sound of their wings
long, strong, feathered wings
till the break of dawn.
©Vagner Albino
Vagner’s website is: http://www.livejournal.com/~kattanaita
“There's many poems in English, but mainly I write in Portuguese.”
Worth a visit and learning Portuguese I think….
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Koala
The Aussie bear
So delightfully different
Being himself up a gum tree
Sleepy, slow, cumbersome
Yet is this bear smart !
He observes all calmly
Chooses wisely does he
His leaves and tree houses
He waits, looks around
Makes a choice, then
Slowly clambers down
To ground, scoots quickly
Across to his choice abode
Then, slowly rises into
A new haven of calm safety
Which provides his delights
And nurtures his being
And to boot, a great view
Of the world; then slowly
Deliberately once again,
In between sleep and rest
Another choice of when
And where, then
Repeat performance
Koala, unique in breed
Simply Australian-owned
©Elizabeth A Feisst 17 May 2005
http://www.freewebs.com/elizpoetry/ |
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Simple Pleasures….
And best of all are the boxes....
Coming in different sizes
From I know not where;
Deliciously smelling
Of chocolate
Or perfume….
Such cat-friendly litter….
Temptingly furnished with newsprint
Tagged and bound
With plastic ribbon….
Enticingly calling
“ Take me,
Play with me!”
Always invitingly….
Yes, best of all are the boxes!
© Lisa Gabriel, 18th May 2005 |
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Apricot
You tumble chaotic into my dreams
With the rustle of paper,
Scratching away in dark corners
Where spiders fall prey
To your happy search.
Himalayan goddess!
You charm such joy
From these high passes
Where no man could tread.
Then,
THUD!
The day is shattered
By the thunder footfall
Of such delicate feet
And the click of cellulose.
Like Pele, you dive
And dribble your ball,
This mouse,
Your prey.
Bleary-eyed,
So early in the day
I roll sweet in avoidance….
Sandpaper softly scours my cheek,
Your tongue….
Roughly,
You kiss my eyes to wake,
You chew my hair….
How can I grudge a second
Of this Summer Sunday morning?
Laughing, I rise….
I lift you in my arms
And hug my Woolly Bear!
© Lisa Gabriel, 17th July 2005 |
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Feral Love….
Greedy for leftover love,
He steals into our passageway;
Black, burr bedraggled,
Seeking Persian leavings….
One ear almost two,
Socks and vest -
Immaculate -
New fallen snow….
Nobility in shabbiness!
Taking guard upon the roof,
Sentry to Need,
He pauses, watchful;
Every in and out an opportunity.
Joyful,
He bumps his massive head -
Each venture and return he greets….
Pampered once perhaps,
Now sadly lost,
He craves the love he senses….
Our neighbour’s in the yard!
“He will not let me pass!”
The little panther has her cornered….
Later she tells her friend -
“Our neighbour feeds him”
He scratched her once,
When in desperate bid for warmth
He raked her tights as cats will do….
“He’s such a nuisance!”
Nuisance,
Screwball, as we call him,
Shuts his eyes….
He purrs,
Dreaming of tasty offerings left
When Fear subsides
And her Compassion stirs….
© Lisa Gabriel, 12th August 2005 |
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Alligator….
Leaving this safe haven,
My pool,
Where I lay silent for so long
I calmly glide….
Seeking no conflict,
I swim tranquil,
Driven by an inner voice
That soothes my fear.
Taking only what I need
With no desire to lay up stores
Against some mythic drought,
Peaceful, I watch my prey
And sated let it pass
Upon its own foray
In this liquid Universe.
I guarded my young -
Fiercely, as a mother should -
Now they must find their way….
My mission now,
Delighting purely in the freedom
Of the running stream,
Is simply….
Be….
Drawing the warmth
From unknown worlds above;
The sun upon my back,
This balm of cooler waters
Adding lustre to my skin.
Scales sparkle!
Rainbows in the light’s reflected love!
Into the darker eddies
Flowing,
Safe,
At peace with inner purpose,
No more need to hide….
© Lisa Gabriel, 20th August 2005
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Amberley.
What if your lion’s mane,
Your fierce owl eyes
And griffin posture
Offer feline threat
To passing waifs
To challenge Fear?
If suddenly you leap
Fur blown, tail coiled,
To stare at those outside;
Timid heart beating,
Rapidly,
Like starting deer?
I question….
What makes you so afraid
Of your own kind?
I cherish
This growing love and trust
That calm beside
Such large, gross animals you lie;
So small,
Yet calm,
As they caress you
Lovingly,
Silk chimera,
Gentle –
To such bulk grown blind….
© Lisa Gabriel, 24th August 2005
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Tidying Up!
A week moving furniture!
Carpets lifted,
Dust removed,
Chairs moved room to room –
A sofa disembowelled
New one installed,
And then
The MESS….
Cupboards laid waste!
Discarded blankets
And clothes for Oxfam –
Once comfortable,
Now too loose,
Too tight –
Too old….
Unwanted presents
Laid to rest,
Papers recycled,
Documents shredded
And statements
Burned….
Busy, busy, busy!
The place WAS home,
But only just….
Testament to the madness
They call Spring cleaning –
Blitzing the place….
Yes!
More like THE Blitz!
Seeking a saner pace,
A homely space,
I found the old box –
In the hallway,
By the bathroom door.
Inside,
More papers,
Plastic bottles for recycling
Cardboard folded
Ripe for binman’s harvest…..
Scrabbling around,
Rummaging through carrier bags,
The object of my search
Is clear!
Out with the old box!
Upend it!
Contents disgorge
In an interesting heap….
Much better now!
Into the box for me,
I purr myself to sleep….
© Lisa Gabriel, 30th August 2005
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Cat
Stretched out
On cold street furniture
Where sorry hands have laid
In final dream,
I hardly see
Grey on fawn and brindled grey –
So calm you seem….
Beneath
Your welcoming length
One word….
No litter here
Snug, trusting –
Comfort thrusting into
Silken warmth -
Here sleeping loss and fear.
An instant,
I am Cat –
But let it go.
To take your pain,
To seat and ride my own,
What would I gain
Through transference?
Love,
Only Love,
Shone in your eyes –
Yet open, but unseeing.
Still in sweet trust
This Winter day
Stretched now
Before a warming fire,
In dreams you chase and play
Your litter at your breast
Returning to the Light
Within us all
Perhaps, for some,
To rest;
For others,
Show the way….
© Lisa Gabriel, 28th November 2005
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Far too complicated to explain here, save that this poem is about my first rescue Persian. I still mourn her passing, but she taught me so much....
Sonnet for an Empress….
Now so long since that final kiss
Releasing you, I still feel pain.
Such deep Love I’ll always miss
Yet losing you brought so much gain….
Wild eyes afire that winter night
Begged “Do not leave me in the cold!”
Time made you precious to my sight
And what we shared will not grow old.
In life, and death, you gave so much
Your dying led me on my way
To knowing self, to feel God’s touch,
My gratitude no words can say….
Though Sorrow binds, Love through it sings
To join our souls on Angel’s wings….
© Lisa Gabriel, 3rd December 2005
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