Like primitives we buried the cat
with his bowl. Bare-handed
we scraped sand and gravel
back into the hole.
They fell with a hiss
and thud on his side,
on his long red fur, the white feathers
between his toes, and his
long, not to say aquiline, nose.
We stood and brushed each other off.
There are sorrows keener than these.
Silent the rest of the day, we worked,
ate, stared, and slept. It stormed
all night; now it clears, and a robin
burbles from a dripping bush
like the neighbor who means well
but always says the wrong thing.
I really liked this poem a lot. I describes the feelings that many of us have when we lose a beloved pet. By saying it stormed all night, the speaker is implying that the burial of the cat was very gloomy and dark. I like how the speaker used the line "like primitives we buried the cat." This similie describes how what they are doing is not a normal thing but one that would happen in an older age. Overall, the poem is a anthem to all who have lost a pet in their lifetime.
ReplyDeleteI related to this poem a lot. I have never had a cat or dog but one time I had a fishy. Our fish, Taco jumped out of the tank and died. I had to flush it and I had nightmares for a week. So, I understand the pain, although my pain isn't as severe.
ReplyDeleteI've never really had a pet before, beside the hermit crab i had in like first grade, so i cannot really relate to the loss of a pet, but I really liked this poem! I liked the line where is said "Silent the rest of the day, we worked,ate, stared, and slept" because when we mourn the loss of somthing or someone the day still carries on, but there is a sense of emptiness for a while.
ReplyDeleteThe end of this poem is really neat. I liked the comparison to the neighbor. I think we've all had those moments were unintentionally someone says something to us or we say something to someone that is just bad timing. The robin is happy when the family feels everything should be somber. And although I'm not really sure what it means, I like the word "Primitives" in the first line, it has a sophisticated feeling to it.
ReplyDeleteThis poem is sad, and I know exactly what she's saying. My dog died in the Spring of 9th grade, when all the flowers were blooming and the birds chirping. In the midst of the melancholy affair, the robin is singing and seems so out of place.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to the neighbor who has bad timing. He seems to put his foot in his mouth, because I do that all the time and it's really embarassing.