Poetry Friday--"Observations of Manuel's Cat"

It's time for another ekphrastic poem, this one was inspired by a painting by Goya, "Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zuñiga." It was also a result of a poem I posted on my library blog, Kurious Kitty, a few weeks ago. The poem, by David Graham, is "The Dogs in Dutch Paintings." Since that post I'd become conscious of the preponderance of dogs in Dutch and other paintings. I thought a cat might feel slighted.

Courtesy Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Observations of Manuel's Cat

On our palacio walls you'll see canvases depicting
Our Lord--his birth, his miracles, his last meal.
Glorious scenes of contest, crusade, or victory.
The Conde's exalted ancestors, and all his familia.

In these framed monstrosities you'll also see dogs.
Canines! But rarely a feline, and do you know why?

Because cats have better things to do than to sit
around looking droll and mildly interested in directions
issued by a fool waving a brush, while dogs, need only
the promise of that stick, tossed, to keep them contented.

Buenos días, Mr. Goya! Is that a cage? Are...those...birds?
Me? Sit for you? Oh, Mr. Goya! Como una gran artista...

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

If you click on the image it should open in a larger format. You'll better be able to see the rapt attention on the eyes of three cats, especially the calico. The black cat is barely visible.

This week's Round-Up is being held at The Drift Record. I hope we see a few cats there!