Periodically on Poetry Pop, we enjoy a Guest Pop where a guest poet pops in for a visit. I’d like to welcome, Connie Goldsmith to the blog! Connie’s day job has her living the life of a middle grade and young adult nonfiction writer, but she likes to dabble in fiction and poetry on the side (cat style!).

Connie’s life-long friendship with felines (and writing) has resulted in publication in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Magic of Cats (Cat Burglars) and Highlights Children’s Magazine:

Today we have the pleasure of reading some of Connie’s “Catku.” These poems may look like haiku (written in three lines with a 5-7-5 syllable count), but they are really haiku’s cousin, senryu, because they are about human nature and behavior rather than nature and seasons. Enjoy these delightful poems:

A Cuddle of Catku

Cat Eyes
Cat eyes green and gold,
shining with secret wisdom.
Mirrors to the soul.


Cat’s Gift
Dead mouse at my feet.
Smiling cat looks up at me
with happy proud eyes.


Cat in Sunlight
Cat in sunlight lies
belly up and paws outstretched,
picture of delight.


Cat and Bird
Tracking, stalking birds.
Final dash and mighty leap
Too bad. Missed again!


Trip to the Vet
Oh, no. No, no, no.
Not me. No. No. No. No. No.
No way. No. no. NO!


Cat Nap
Quiet winter nap,
soft, warm cats tucked around me
Like purring pillows.


Hair Ball
Gag! Barf! Here it comes!
Hair ball the size of Cleveland.
Ah, all better now.


Sleeping Cat
Stretched lanky long,
sleeping cat with twitching paws.
Secret feline dreams.


Old Cat
Many happy years.
Slow steps, dim eyes, achy bones.
Goodbye, my old friend.


Home Without a Cat
Home without a cat
is like a wet winter day,
too cold and lonely.


New Kitten
Sweet little fur ball,
needle claws, panther pounces.
Kitten in the house.

© A Cuddle of Catku by Connie Goldsmith, all rights reserved 

What fun! A huge THANK YOU to Connie for sharing with us today!

tHANKS FOR POPPING IN

Please follow the blog for a little pop of poetry in your day. If you write poems and would like to be featured in a Guest Pop post, please contact me and I’ll be in touch.

Connie Goldsmith has written more than twenty-five nonfiction books. Her books for young adult and middle-grade readers include health topics, history, and military themes. She has also published more than two hundred magazine articles for adults and children. Her most recent books are Smashing Stigma: Dismantling Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination; Running on Empty: Sleeplessness in American Teens; Kiyo Sato: From a WWII Japanese Internment Camp to a Life of Service (received Eureka Gold medal):; Women in the Military; Pandemic: How Climate, the Environment, and Superbugs Increase the Risk; and Bombs Over Bikini: The World’s First Nuclear Disaster (a Junior Library Guild Selection, a Children’s Book Committee/Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of Year, and SCBWI Crystal Kite winner). Goldsmith is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the Authors Guild. She is also an RN with a master's degree. She lives near Sacramento, California. Visit her website at www.conniegoldsmith.com.