Appearing on a wall
Beneath a rhododendron
Catching my eye
With a gaze of reflection
A little kitten not too shy
To look at me and yearn
Catch herself by surprise
And then to quickly turn
I skip with wonder
And dash in delight
To ask the Neighbour
Where she took flight
“Just a stray
When we found her
Wants to stay
We can’t catch her”
“Poor tabby grey
Dumped with her sister
Runt of the litter”
Said Paul and Tina
“Lives behind
Our garden shed
Tries to hide
Within” they said.
“First saw them tarry
Two weeks ago
In the Rosemary
Didn’t see them go”
“Top of your driveway
Left by some toad”
Blackmans Bay
Tarana Road
Other Neighbour Julie
Took it all seriously
She worked at the cattery
And so came to help me
“They’ll go wild” she said
Gearing herself in leather
One of them saw red
Tried to take a piece of her
Clearly now quite feral
Into a cage she went
Can’t save her from peril
So to sleep she would be sent
But coming from the Garden shed
And appearing right before me
Just where Paul and Tina said
Standing still for all to see
A little kitten in a muddle
Fixed her eyes on me
I just knelt down for a cuddle
And took her home with glee
When we came to name her
Noticing a few dark stripes
And a fleck of orange fur
We thought of tiger types
“Prince Rajah” said Bella
All of 4 years old
We couldn’t refuse her
So the name was sold
But as she went to get her fix
—Rajah means king you know—
The vet reminded of her sex
Her name must change, and so
“Princess” her title hence
And “Raja” from Aussie Zoo
Although not strictly one of the gents
Steve Irwin was inspiration too
Princess Rajah
Wildlife warriors
We are!
For a brush of your hair
She’ll meow and meow
Even little you wear
Jump onto your towel
Bed down in your lap
Retracting her claws
Determined to nap
With purrs but not snores
For a scratch on your whiskers
And your hand on her tail
Your tummy is hers
If you let it avail
Sleep all the day
on cushion, under bush
—If the sun’s not away—
Mightn’t rise from her tush
But at night she is restless
Will scratch and complain
Awakening darkness
Calls out her name
With a glint in her eyes
She’ll slip into wild
You don’t hear the cries
She plays not like a child
She gets thirsty for blood
She’ll hunt till the morn
Returning no mud
But a victim half torn
A rat or a mouse
Or poor bandicoot
And into the house
Bring her prize loot
Some native foul
On to our floor
Satisfied now
Will lick at each paw
And rest for a while
Until the right hour
I find on the tile
Red stains as I cower
And angry I’ll curse
The pain and the loss
And gently nurse;
Too precious to toss
And carefully laying
In bush for the worms
I will be praying
Hoping naughty puss learns
No bell and no collar
No bib or display
Has been able to stop her
From catching her prey
Sometimes we loath her
And think that it’s time
She be taught just to purr
Stay inside to whine and pine
But try as we may
We’ve never been able
To keep her at bay
Within our home stable
For from kit she was loosed
Into bushes and grass
And she can’t be noosed
Or made rid of her past
And despite her dark features
Gold flecks still remain
Though we mourn the lost creatures
We love her still the same
And grieve as we may
For each kill and each maiming
At the end of each day
We remember her naming
Princess Rajah
A big rogue indeed
Que Sera Sera
She will be who she will be
And she won’t be tamed
Or do as she’s told
Unless she be lamed
Or gets very old
But will always be
Our little beauty
Little moody
Very cuddly
‘Mostly’ lovely
Our very own
Feline queen
