The Cat and the Canary

There once was a cat who lived with his servants,
In a home not far from the sea.
He slept in a bay window that drew in the sun,
Overlooking an evergreen tree.

The starlings flew by and scoffed at his demise,
And some perched on the window with glee.
The feline leaped and to his defeat,
They escaped to the evergreen trees.

One beautiful day his servants arrived late,
In the home not far from the sea.
Perched on the appendage of his favorite minion,
Was a canary they sometimes called Pete.

The day was long as the cat sat forlorn,
Covering his ears with his hands and his feet.
Oh, the most dreadful sounds that ever were found,
From that wretched canary named Pete!

Time soon passed and the cat grew crass,
In response to the buffeted tweets.
In stealthy mode he struck a mean poke,
At the villainous bird named Pete!

The envoy appeared as quickly as he feared,
As the canary let out a loud scream.
The cat rebounded and to his window “unfounded,”
Looking up at his vicars mewed, “Who me?”

The servants dismissed the canary’s cries,
For the cat was beautiful and sleek,
He never caused harm nor any alarm,
In the home not far from the sea.

The day arrived with the cage compromised,
And the cat was curiously besieged.
Away the bird flew from his defining cocoon,
In search of an evergreen tree.

Instinctively the cat cheeped and took a big leap,
At the ominous bird named Pete.
With a staggered loop and one fell swoop,
He struck the bird’s head and beak.

The locomotion drew the stewards’ devotion,
And they glared at the feline with grief.
The cat belched out a weakened meow,
With a feather still lodged in his teeth.

Moral:  Don’t sleep in the sun when temptation is near,
Or sit idly by its cage indiscreet.
Instead roam the halls of your treasured home,
And remember the Balms of Gilead!