Mocha

[metaphorliteral]

This little tabby cat with squished-in face,
this little purrbox which only breathes in wheezes,
this feline with her species' typical grace,
this cat that gets up in your face and sneezes,
this compact kitty chasing one who's fatter,
this lonely cat who just wants to make friends,
this feline who thinks toys are no great matter,
who sleeps behind my legs in my knees' bends,
oh Mocha, though you are my sister's cat,
I turn my pen to write this little ode.
Sneeze at me again-- I'll turn you into a hat,
and wear your tabby fur when it gets cold.
I'm joking, of course, you're much too cute to kill,
though I hope when I see you again you won't be ill.