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A playful allegory about freedom, wandering, and the inescapable pull of love, told through the voice of a hedonistic tomcat named Pattern who roams the neighborhood but ultimately cannot outrun connection.
Framed as a modern reimagining of “The Cat in the Hat,” this poem gives voice to Pattern—a self-proclaimed “prodigal pawpad” who revels in his wandering ways, chasing attraction from bowl to bowl, neighborhood to neighborhood. Through the cat’s confident declarations of independence and sensory pursuit, the poem explores themes of restlessness, the search for novelty, and the tension between freedom and belonging. Yet beneath the bravado, something unexpected emerges: the cat’s tail wags like a dog’s, he craves morning scratches, and he admits to loving his “neighborhood saint.” The poem pivots to reveal its heart—a meditation on how love draws us back despite ourselves, how even the most dedicated wanderer cannot escape connection. The closing question, “Who is Walt to you?” invites readers to consider their own anchors, while the foundation remains clear: You can’t run from Love.
This poem showcases David Plahm’s gift for narrative voice and unexpected tenderness. The cat persona is fully realized—cocky, sensory-driven, unapologetically hedonistic—yet the poem earns its emotional payoff by revealing vulnerability beneath the swagger. The structural choice to move from the cat’s confident “he said” declarations to the speaker’s “I said” creates a satisfying dialogue that culminates in mutual acknowledgment. The reference to Walt (presumably Whitman, given the themes of wandering and democratic love) adds literary depth without being heavy-handed. Some readers may find the middle section meanders slightly, and the tonal shifts between humor and sincerity require attention. But the closing lines land with genuine warmth, and the central truth—that love is magnetic, unavoidable, and worth returning to—resonates long after reading. A clever, affectionate piece that rewards rereading.
The Cat in the Hat
For today’s world.
The Cat that Never Came Back
The prodigal pawpad
He said:
I love to fool around
Those ladies are so snuggly
The essence is strong
The attraction intense
My will is an
Exhale of satisfaction.
He said:
The pattern of my life
Is a never ending
Round of love
With anyone
I can find
He said:
When you need a back scratch,
This is the wall you need
When you need a fresh smell
This is the spot in the grass
When you need to meet
Someone new
This is the neighborhood
I go to.
He said:
My benefactor
Is sometimes negligent
I expect my morning bowl at 7:30
I expect my evening bowl at 5:30
My blankie should be as stinky
As I left it last week.
I said:
I’m running out
Of new ones
Gotta find
A new place to go
The food bucket here?
It’s getting old.
He said:
If there’s an eternity
HaHaaaa
It’s not
Here.
I’m a hedonistic cat
Proud of it
Will die from it
Off to new neighborhoods
New spices to explore
Hmmmm, it’s sensory but,
Thanks for the food bucket.
Let’s explore.
As he says:
I don’t need you
But I love a scratch
Or two
In the morning.
Paw-sitivley legendary
In the neighborhood
Pattern is my name.
Attractive to all
Those felines.
I am—
The wonderer
While I wander.
Your neighbor’s bowl?
Shiny and available.
That’s why
I left.
Today.
But, my—
Tail is waggin’.
Isn’t that a dog’s
Responsibility?
I’m still wondering
Why that stupid plant
Is sticking up one leaf
I just watered it
Should have bloomed by now.
Arrghhh?
No, Purrrr.
Let’s
Get together
I need a scratch.
Oh, my ears
Will love it.
Your silly tomatoes
Will really appreciate
I fertilized them for next spring.
Ah,
While I perform
Verbal gymnastics
behind the scenes,
emotions, reality,
through analogies
and metaphors
You stay real.
He says—
Keep the bowl
Full.
Will Pattern stay long enough
To be truly seen?
I stutter as I realize.
The magic is in you.
Because,
I love you.
As well as
My neighborhood saint.
You can’t run from Love.
It just draws you in
to forever
and after.
Ah,
Walt?
I love you.
I’ll fill the bowl
Tomorrow
At 7:30
I hope Walt
Would approve.
Purr.
The question is…
Who is Walt
To you?
The foundation is:
You can’t run from Love.
It just draws you in to forever and after.
He said:
Just as I do you.
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