THE KITTENS (PAKISTAN) poem text

THE KITTENS

(PAKISTAN)

-MAKI KUREISHI

There are too many kittens.

Even the cat is dismayed

At this overestimation

Of her stock and slinks away.

Kind friends cannot adopt them all.

My relatives say: take them

to a bazaar and let them go

each to his destiny. They’ll live

off pickings. But they are so small

somebody may step on one

like a tomato.

Or too fastidious to soil

a polished shoe will kick it

out of his path. If they survive

the gaunt dogs and battering hells.

they will starve gently squealing

a little less each day.

The European thing to do

Is drown them. Warm water

Is advised to lessen the shock.

They are so small it takes only

a minute. You hold them down

and turn head away.

Then the water shatters, Your hands

Are frantic eels, Oddly

like landed fish, their blunt pink mouths

open and shut, Legs strike out.

Each claw, a delicate nail

paring, is bared.

They are blind and will never know

You did this to them. The water

Recomposes itself.

Snagged

By two cultures, which

Shall I choose?

blossomreader