Sue Hughes

“My Cats

I know. I know.
they are limited, have different
needs and
concerns.

but I watch and learn from them.
I like the little they know,
which is so
much.

they complain but never
worry,
they walk with a surprising dignity.
they sleep with a direct simplicity that
humans just can’t
understand.

their eyes are more
beautiful than our eyes.

and they can sleep 20 hours
a day
without
hesitation or
remorse.

when I am feeling
low
all I have to do is
watch my cats
and my
courage
returns.

I study these
creatures.
they are my
teachers.”
― Charles Bukowski, On Cats

“my god," they will say, "all Chinaski writes about
are cats!"
"my god," they used to say, "all Chinaski writes about
are whores!"
the complainers will complain and keep buying my
books: they love the way I irritate them.”
― Charles Bukowski, On Cats

“about
our argument tonight
whatever it was
about
and
no matter
how unhappy
it made us
feel

remember that
there is a
cat
somewhere
adjusting to the
space of itself
with a delightful
wonderment of
easiness.

in other words
magic persists
without us
no matter what
we do
against it.”
― Charles Bukowski, On Cats

“The tailless, cross-eyed cat came to the door one day, and we let him in. Old pink eyes. Quite a guy. Animals are inspirational. They don’t know how to lie. They are natural forces. TV can make me ill in five minutes, but I can look at an animal for hours and find nothing but grace and glory, life as it should be.”
― Charles Bukowski, On Cats