by Hamish Whyte
(1) Hi Luigi
Luigi, tiny tabby, six weeks old,
newest cat in the street,
snuggled inside Rae’s fleece
up the steps to his new home
where he has a basket beside the radiator
and balls of wool to chase -
doesn’t know yet he still has to duke it out
with Lucky, Gizmo, the fluffy one that sleeps on cars
and, laird of the cobbles and everyone’s pet, Banksy.
Not to mention the dogs.
For the moment, though, he’s King Kitten.
(2) Ta Ta Luigi
Short stay kitten
no time to make friends
off again
to a home
that needs an absence
filled.
Whatever
name he’s given
whatever he may become -
Edinbugger or even Weegee -
we’ll remember
his bounce and pounce - Luigi.
Hamish Whyte's latest collection is A Bird in the Hand (Shoestring Press). He has edited many anthologies of Scottish poems and prose and runs Mariscat Press, publishing poetry. He is an Honorary Research Fellow, Scottish Literature Department, Glasgow University.
Images Not Icons, published by Kennedy and Boyd in association with The Herald, is available through book shops at £9.99; through Amazon, Kennedy and Boyd or from Word Power Books, 43-45 West Nicolson Street, Edinburgh EH8 9DB – telephone 0131 662 9112 or e-mail
books@word-power.co.uk.