Man Ray Kitty Jumps
Man Ray Kitty jumps!
The window is closed–
bang! He is stunned
but okay.
We are still laughing.
Man Ray Kitty jumps!
The window is closed–
he is outside, scratches
balances on the ledge.
I let him in.
Man Ray Kitty jumps!
Almost a full story up
through an open window
a carpenter left open.
We are surprised.
Man Ray jumps!
more than a story down
through the through the bedroom window
open to let the jasmine in.
We are surprised.
Man Ray Kitty jumps!
it must be a blessing
to have a small brain
a small brain impulsive
with no doubts, few memories.
Man Ray Kitty jumps!
He scatters from people
but windows were made
for his escape.
Man Ray Kitty jumps…
Man Ray Kitty, along with brother Marcel Duchamp, sister Manxine, and brother Mr. Friendly, was born under the Art City Gallery, and I fostered the siblings, then kept the two wildest, the surrealist brothers Marcel and Man Ray. A silky tuxedo cat resembling a photo by Wanda Wulz which I thought was taken by Man Ray hence the name, he loved exploring the barranca behind our house until a coyote caught up with him. Man Ray made his last jump May 2004; he was seven years old. We miss him.
The posting of this poem was prompted in part by the Read Write Poem prompt to write an elegy. The poem “Man Ray Kitty Jumps” was written August 13, 2003 during the 3:15 Experiment. The broadside was published in ArtLife Limited Editions June 2004 the poem in the Beyond the Valley of the Contemporary Poets Anthology:
Woohoo, my new favourite. This is sooooo cool jazz jump dada art deco surreal bobbing cool, all of it,
glad you liked it, paul!
i dreamt last night that my two cats marcel duchamp and man ray found me; or more accurately, we found each other in this farmhouse barn, rolling hills all around. they were in kitty heaven. i wonder if a pyschopomp took them there