I was up early this morning, far earlier than I wanted to be, and the first thing on my mind, was “what can I write for the word stay”? This is the five-minute-Friday prompt from Miss Kate. I thought about stay-cations, and staying put, safety in shelter, the staying in your place thing that people of colour must often feel. Then my Miss Lizzy thought “oh, the ma’am is awake, perhaps I can get her to pet me”. Mild inspiration struck.
Miss Lizzy came
A caution warned
“She likes to nibble,
Just a bit”.
The first week here
Lizzy, a year-old rescue
almost returned.
Nibbles are bites, not quite forewarned.
One week in
An odd thing happened
Miss Lizzy offered
a surprise.
A bath
I expected a
Screaming, fighting mess
A battle on my hands.
But
Miss Lizzy stopped.
She stood quiet
Docile and compliant.
My fellows I told,
Miss Lizzy stays
A firm hand
Combined with Gentleness.
So now
“Lizzy! NO bites”
Finger tap on forehead
Lizzy listens.
“Lizzy wants pets?”
Tapping a chair
Up Lizzy pops,
It’s much safer up there.
As Lizzy learns,
She teaches us much.
This much is good.
THIS much is too far!
My hubby complains
“This cat is not mine!”
Every cat thus far is
His or the lads.
But my baby girl
Follows me everywhere
Indoors or out
My cat is everywhere.
To me she is connected
Like a toy on a string
Stay connected safely
It is a really good thing.
I wonder as I look
at the world we are in
Can lessons from Lizzy
Be a possible thing?
The world with it’s riots
Protests, hatred and more
Screams THIS TOO MUCH IS TOO FAR
We can’t take anymore!
What will it take?
For connections to stay?
Say this much is good,
With safety for all?
Stay safely connected,
with firm hand combined
With gentleness guiding
Can we now abide?
To be honest, I don’t know. I don’t know what it will take to change the world. There will always be divisions. People like to put labels on things and situations and each other. Once labels are applied, division happens. Sin causes division.
Can people own up to their own sin? Their sin of lumping everyone together? Whether it be police officers, people of colour, individuals with special needs, the elderly, the young etc. How do we own up to the sin we often just can’t see? Seriously, I think it comes down to more people need to see the firm hand of God. A hand that he lovingly combines with gentleness, helping us to stay connected to him. Can we look past our sin to see a person we can connect with?
What a gift Lizzy is!
I love your words, “The sin of lumping everyone together..” a good reminder for me. So easy to place blame without seeing my contribution. Or making assumptions of others rather than seeing each person as an individual, beloved of God. Thank you!
thank you Karen. 🙂
What a lovely lesson from Lizzy–and your guidance for her! It is my prayer that we can listen to each other and go to God with our petitions for peace and understanding.
wouldn’t it be good if we really could listen to each other?
Oh splendid cat, oh Lizzy, Lizzy,
with ‘tude that’s plain to see:
“Beware my wrath, it is a tizzy,
and tread thou not on me.
I am not your Puss-in-Boots,
nor that Siamese
which which Mouse-Man was in cahoots,
and I NEVER please.
But take me for the cat I am,
and I will be your friend
through every joy and every jam,
right up to the end,
and if your care is exquiseet,
I may deign to warm your feet.”
oh.. you brought a smile to my face with your ditty Andrew. Thank you!