Saturday, September 24, 9707

BIENVENUE A CLOCKWISE CAT!


WE NOW HAVE OUR OWN DOMAIN: CLOCKWISECAT DOT COM. THIS SITE WILL REMAIN AS ARCHIVE.




THE CLOCKWISE CAT

by ALISON ROSS

The clockwise cat
is wise to clocks.
She knows their motive:
to tame the savage animal of time.

The clockwise cat
hisses at the clock-cages;
her fangs gnaw the numbers
and her claws rip holes
in the frayed fabric of space.

The clockwise cat
moves in counter-clockwise cadences
across the hardwood floors of infinity.
She stalks illusions of impermanence
which flit like shadows
across the paint-chipped walls in her mind.

The clockwise cat
tells time with her eyes:
they blaze like candle flames
in the dim closets of oblivion.

The clockwise cat
sleeps 16 days an hour.
She dreams about the minutes
she will devour like bugs;
she awakens to seconds
poisoned like rats.

21 comments:

Unknown said...

This poem is absolutely stunning! Well done!

Anonymous said...

FANGtastic! The whole mood of the piece is just so wonderfully dark and lovely. More, more!!

Liquid said...

Very interesting blog you have! I'll be back, soon! :)

Luis said...

Good poem here.
Cerebral Catalyst is a fine journal as well.

David said...

Neat.

Anonymous said...

How about recycling the clock? Just let it go, throw it away... That way, no need to be wise of the clock. Simply enjoy a moment and never consider its only certainty: that it will end. Don't mind the clock, clockwise cat. Just be the gorgeous cat that you are. Free and wild and thus... wise.

Just for fun, let me try...

The clockwise cat
recognizes clocks of all shapes and forms
and purrs her way past them
ignoring their incessant rhythm

The clockwise cat
tiptoes past time-keepers
who wear handcuffs
in the form of wrist-clocks

The clockwise cat
attracts others in the alley
her eyes indeed glowing, night or day
to free them of their ticking
and stop reasoning their very being

The clockwise cat
is also wise to these facts:
relations are priceless;
happiness is timeless

The clockwise cat
eats in the shortest of moments
licks her fears goodbye
and no longer wanders what time is left...

The clockwise cat
no longer doubts her wiseness
and awakens others around the clock
having freed herself of time, forever.


Hi Cat! I hope you won't mind me having offered another viewpoint... I FELT your poetry challenge my innermost fears and it brought me to consider what amazing educator and person that you are. I really admire who I am discovering with every word we exchange and I thought I would pay homage to you in giving your poem a twist that honors the impact you have on others.

I hope other people awaken. I hope teachers and educators and parents and writers continue considering the world differently and stop accepting what doesn't need to be. Let's never forget the human inside the cat and let's free ourselves of the constraints of time! Let's just BE! Stop thinking in terms of time... What time we can spare for a friend... What time we can spend to please someone else... What time before Christmas?... How long before I retire?... *sigh*

When we limit ourselves to time, we fail to see that it's time itself that is the limit.

The cats in the alley indeed need the clockwise cat...

Hissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!

Clockwise Cat said...

Fantac, stop being so utterly fucking awesome.

Anonymous said...

Then again...



The clockwise cat
keeps parading the alley
The clocks she passed and passes
don't require her approval
to tick time away

The clockwise cat
feels a breeze;
minutes run by,
even accelerate

The clockwise cat
turns to look behind her
but her weakened condition
clouds her longing vision

The clockwise cat
has trouble blinking
her eyes have dried,
always wide opened

The clockwise cat
jumps at her greying shadow,
widow to her youth
she clings to her heart

The clockwise cat
feels like running
and can't help but wonder
if running away
will make it end faster...

The clockwise cat
is surprised to see
her precious memories
glaring right back, smiling

The clockwise cat
feels her eyes dampen
her time expires,
urgency takes a face;
that of her ending

The clockwise cat
can't afford the luxury of despair
she turns back
and remembers in life
while there are many directions,
there's only one way...

Onwards.

Surrealist gesture said...

Surrealistgesture.com

Jerry said...

Just wanted to say that you have liberal views that don't necessarily sit well with me, but, on the other hand, I don't really mind. I love your unabashed sexuallity, and I might learn to appreciate your poetry, with time. I am quite fascinated with your musical interests.....Johnny Cash, Bob Wills,Screamin Jay Hawkins. As I perused your lists of favorites, it was clear that you are not only musically eclectic, but have an ear for quality as well.

Anonymous said...

AMAZING poem

Spencer said...

5 stars to you and dr.suses well however you spell it

Spencer said...

kids do come here

Snowbrush said...

The "scary South"--Atlanta! I'm from rural Mississippi. Now, THAT'S the scary South, which is why I left it for Oregon.

omar azam said...

did you just change your background color? i find the text impossible to read now. i would ask that you change it to a color that is lighter so that the black text comes through. just thought i'd send my feedback because i love reading c.c. but now i can't!

thank you,
omar

Clockwise Cat said...

omar, i did change it temporarily, but i changed it back after reading your comment. please let me know if the font is hard to read. i like to play around with CC cuz i get bored with it looking the same, but readability is paramount! thanks for the heads up.

Omar said...

thanks for taking my comment into account! the color looks great again, thank you. i find the font a little challenging to read.

Omar said...

i like the new font!

Anonymous said...

WOW that is amazing im looking forward to the next one:)

Anonymous said...

Great stuff...read several of the poems and the reviews in one sitting and will be coming back for more very soon. One question, where does one send submissions? I feel like it is right under my nose but I can't find anything.

Bobbi A. Chukran, Author said...

Thanks, Alison! You're still the first person to publish my short speculative fiction and I appreciate it so much! Looking forward to seeing you return! Meow and happy trails! bobbi c. www.bobbichukran.com