"On the Death of a Cat"

I'm fairly sure this was written with an eye to Gray's "Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat." It's one of the lighter pieces in the book of Wright's poetry that I'm reading now. I laughed a little at the way he talked about the cat's life spent sleeping, and with the tender description at the end, and its quiet feel, I think it's a very fitting tribute for a cat.

On the Death of a Cat
In life, death
was nothing
to you: I am

willing to wager
my soul that it
simply never occurrred

to your nightmareless
mind, while sleep
was everything

(see it raised
to an infinite
power and perfection)--no death

in you then, so now
how even less. Dear stealth
of innocence

licked polished
to an evil
luster, little

milk fang, whiskered
night
friend--

go.

- Franz Wright

A Year of Reading hosts this Friday's poetry round-up.