The matter of naming
a cat comes down
to three choices.
One for everyday,
quick and lithe,
paws swiping at pens:
Ellie.
Another for sweetness,
for the cuddle
in the crook of my arm:
Jelly Bean.
The third for watchful,
whiskers level, ears forward,
tuned to the can’s hiss-pop:
Argus-eyed.
But there’s a name
this cat keeps secret,
one she’ll never let
out of the bag.
T.S. Eliot’s whimsical poem, “The Naming of Cats,” inspired this post. Got a fun cat tale? Let me know!
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A veteran of Time Inc. and Dotdash Meredith (People Inc.), Catherine Hamrick is the author of The Tears of Things: Poems (Madville Publishing).
Hamrick’s poetry has appeared in Appalachian Places, Appalachian Review, The Blue Mountain Review, The Citron Review, Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel, storySouth, and elsewhere.
If you have a friend who might enjoy these posts, freely given, please share. Many thanks for reading!
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T. S. Eliot’s poems are fun and thought provoking! I enjoyed this post!❤️
I love this side of Eliot.
Cute re-interpretation. The original is one of my favorites.
I’ve always like Eliot’s poem. My interpretation popped into my head when I decided to post the photo of my cat. Thanks for stopping by!
We once rescued a little deaf kitten off the street in Pireus, Greece. We thought she was a he and we called “him” Harry. You guessed it. Harry was a “she” but we never changed her name because she was deaf and she didn’t care!
I love this story. Have you posted it on your Substack?