Cherry Blossom

A poem about cats and the world.

Cherry Blossom

 

 

 

A ginger cat runs down a dusty alleyway

 in the huge city of Constantinople.

The green eyes of the cat sparkle

in a dense cloud of smoke that

hangs in the air from a

shisha pipe being

Smoked outside

a small café.

 

 

A black and white cat plays with a dead mouse in a crack den in North Philadelphia. The cat spots an injured bird in the snow-covered back yard; he drops the mouse and runs to his victim. The dead mouse lies next to a dead woman. The young woman is bony, dirty and has a syringe sticking out her left arm. Two dead souls sleep in Philadelphia one winter’s morning.

 

 

A plump black cat sits on a cold garden wall in the

 Misty suburbs of Tokyo. She gazes at the

 human race all day with a motionless

expression. She then slowly licks

her paws and then falls to

sleep. The aroma of

cherry blossom

engulfs the

area.

 

 ©LukeRitta

 

Reviews

Very unique form/structure ^_^ I like.
it's almost like shape-poetry, with the shape being a downwards arrow.

My guess is that this poem's intention is to be thought-provoking by relating the unhealthy behaviors and flaws of humanity to that of a cat's routine lifestyle and characteristics.
The one which I think this perspective mostly is connected to is the second stanza which deals with a cocaine addicted freebaser (though "crack" is usually smoked, unless you use something like lemon juice to dissolve it)... the train of thought being the cats killing smaller animals is symbolism for the woman being killed by her health-deficiency addiction to narcotics.
IF I were to read into the first stanza though, being that green is the color of health and a shisha pipe being smoked, my guess is that it's about the health risks of smoking. As for the last stanza, my guess would be it's about laziness.

Like as stated in the beginning of this review, I adore the structure. I don't know if it was intended to be shape-poetry, but it is an odd coincidence if it wasn't. I also would like to praise it for it's seemingly great ability to correlate two different species of animals together in their behaviors, it was a pretty cool idea. Also, the cultural like references to different parts of the world, such as shisha (exotic tobacco product) being smoked at a cafe...
Probably the only constructive critique I can offer is just pay attention in the details you write.. such as shisha smoked outta a pipe, technically shisha is smoked outta hookahs or water-based replacements to pipes (bongs).

overall: an appropriate score for this I think would be a 96/100... enjoyed it alot, and thnx for the RR mate. Keep up the good work ^_^

[Miranda Manne]

I always find myself lost in the form of your poetry, reading it over and over to experience every last intricate layer that you have built. It is both exhausting and amazing, like good sex. You absolutely have me entranced, and I always look forward to reading something new and thought-provoking from you.

[Erica Daubert]

this is great. I live in Philadelphia (South Philly, to be exact) and I am familiar with North Philly as well. Naturally, it grabbed me right away because it's where I live... it was a very dark, tragic and beautiful description of the world and of things so simple we tend to forget about them... like a deceased mouse lying next to a forgotten junkie that we've taught ourselves to block out of our mind. i'll definitely be sharing this. it really moved me. bravo and i am very much looking forward to reading more of your material.

[Coyote Poetry]

I like my cat. Keep me company and ask for little. I like the format and the description of the cats throughout the world. Your strong words create some good visions with the excellent poem.
Coyote

[Poetic Beauty]

This tells a story of how other creatures see things differently from us humans.

[LinBin]

A wonderful write, you have a magical way with words and imagery x

[Brandi Nicole]

heavy yet light enough to float the breeze. it is interesting how you laid out such powerful imagery with such ease and how it all just naturally flowed......pretty talented writer behind this piece. great job!

[The Shadow of the Dawn]

an interesting piece, it well writen and flow really well

[Shy Girl]

A sadness flowed through this write. Hidden at times and the out in the open. An interesting viewpoint to take on such a simple animal. That's not to say they are simple, just one we see everyday and watch pass by the window. Placing the feline in different circumstances added to the shock it must have felt at what it found in the first part. Then the travel to different parts of the world, and the imagery was one that makes us relate with ease...very well wrote. :)

[Dahlia Phoenix]

A unique read. Something unexpected using cats as characters. The first one saddened me though because of the remains of the dead woman and the mouse. So many things happen everywhere but in the ending where you place this cat in Tokyo, the ending had a nice penning to it. Incredible!