"The kitchen really is the castle itself. This is where we spend our happiest moments and where we find the joy of being a family."
–Mario Batali
Tabatha Yeatts' kitchen is not only the heart of her home, apparently, it is the Grand Central Station of pet antics as well.
Don't bother asking the culprits...
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| Emma |
 |
| Foo Foo |
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| Peep, aka Penelopeep |
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| Cleo |
...they'll deny everything.
But I have evidence: Tabatha's Pets in the Kitchen series, which she's kindly brought with her to the Haiku Garden today.
I.
Trust is Rabbit
racing between Cat's legs
to reach his dinner.
racing between Cat's legs
to reach his dinner.
Cat on kitchen table
intently licking a bowl.
What was here before?
III.
Doomed dalliance:
Lovebird chirps a duet withbeeping microwave.
IV.
Cats can pad in silently
but the clatter of Rabbit's nails
gives him away.
© 2014 Tabatha Yeatts. All rights reserved.
Beguiling as they are, those furry and feathery faces can't fool me! This is what really happened:
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| Drawing by Miranda Barnes |
And then, this:
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| Photo: Tabatha Yeatts |
Some of you may recall that Tabatha made an appearance on Today's Little Ditty earlier this year with her poem "Secret Superpowers." It's good to know that one of Tabatha's superpowers is pet-wrangling! Of course she has other superpowers as well, not the least of which is her vivid and thought-provoking writing. Besides writing books, articles, poems, puzzles, and short stories for young people, Tabatha's blog, The Opposite of Indifference, is a gathering place for anyone who enjoys pondering the secrets of life through music, art, and poetry. For National Poetry Month, she has been capturing intriguing new worlds in a Directory of Imaginary Poems– a not-to-be-missed series.
When I invited Tabatha to the Haiku Garden, I had no idea that her visit would come on the heels of National Haiku Poetry Day 2014. How's that for kismet? Please join me in thanking Tabatha and her marvelous mischief-making menagerie for helping us to celebrate the occasion!
Robyn Hood Black, another animal lover and poetry superstar, has today's Poetry Friday roundup at Life on the Deckle Edge.
The kitchen really is the castle itself. This is where we spend our happiest moments and where we find the joy of being a family.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/mariobatal436547.html#Auu4qcrTmD3Bzbmc.99
I adore Miranda's drawing! Thanks so much for inviting me to visit the Haiku Garden, Michelle! You obviously have my pets' number...
ReplyDeleteYes, well I gave Miranda your haiku without showing her the photos, so apologies if anyone is offended because their likenesses are not quite right. ;)
DeleteThanks for being here, Tabatha, and for the fun you brought to the Garden today!
Oh my goodness. Usually when someone shares a set of poems (not here, specifically, but anywhere!), I find one to be spectacular--something that really speaks to me--and the rest to be fine. But on this one, each of the four is amazing. Tabatha really has a gift for capturing a tiny moment/thought and exploding it somehow in the confines of a haiku. Beautiful! I think III is my absolute favorite, but I, II, and III will all stick with me through the day, I know. Thanks, both of you!
ReplyDeleteLove the way you put that, Laura: "capturing a tiny moment/thought and exploding it...." So true!
DeleteA kitchen full of pets! I can only imagine the chaos based upon my experiences with two cats! Tabatha does a fine job of capturing the fun. My favorite is "What was here before?"
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that the cats are most often the instigators... especially that Cleo. The crossed paws are a dead giveaway.
DeleteI laughed aloud over that doomed dalliance--wonderful word picture! Thanks for writing these, Tabatha, and for sharing them, Michelle.
ReplyDeleteBetter a microwave than a vacuum cleaner.... Trying to remember, was it a Clash song that had a line about a vacuum and a budgie?
DeleteI'm all over these -- such fun! Love Miranda's drawing too. :)
ReplyDeleteMiranda thanks you, Jama. :) She'll gladly do a portrait of Cornelius any time you ask! (And, quite possibly, even without you asking.)
DeleteSuch fun to take a peek at Tabatha's menagerie! Love the pictures, too!
ReplyDeleteWasn't it fun? Glad you could stop by, Tara!
DeleteI think I'm sorry for the poor rabbit whose loud claws do not help his sneakiness. He needs buddy help! Wonderful small peeks into Tabatha's kitchen. I always love her posts! Thanks, Michelle!
ReplyDeletePerhaps he can stick a mini-marshmallow on the end of each claw? That might do the trick. ;)
DeleteWhen I read these musings earlier this morning, and saw these pictures (especially Cleo's "pose"), well - it made my day. Miranda's illustration is terrific, too! Mrrrowwww.... (and hello from my own mischievous menagerie).
ReplyDeleteThought you might be able to relate to this one, Robyn. :)
DeleteI've always known that it's a jungle out there in the kitchen - and that is why my husband keeps me safe from it and does all his work there in private (and in secret). :) Gorgeous pictures!
ReplyDeleteI hear you, Myra. With my kids, I have enough trouble keeping track of the the food going in and out, let alone any pets. ;)
DeleteI am a closet Haiku poet, Michelle, and will return to this site. I have been so busy with household redecorating and wedding planning that I have been away for far too long. I just can feel each of these sweet pets in all the poems. The idea of the bunny scurrying between the cat's legs for dinner is hilarious. And the rest are spot on. Glad you visited at Laura's blog and that my source poem post resonated for you. I put up a Sound Cloud version (which needs to be re-done as I made a mistake but I don't have an easy way to correct it yet, missing microphone!) in a comment at Laura's blog. I have such a different version compared to the Yeats' one and I think that is the beauty of our voices and poetry. We bring our own spirit to someone else's words and they can still matter.
ReplyDeleteJanet F.
I'll be sure to go back to check out your Sound Cloud, Janet. I didn't know you were a closet haiku poet! Maybe you'd like to be featured here in future? After all the craziness dies down?
DeleteLove III - "Doomed dalliance..." Thanks Tabatha & Michelle!
ReplyDeleteViolet N.
That seems to be a real crowd pleaser-- possibly a hit single in the making!
DeleteCute drawing and cute poems. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked them, Rosi. :)
DeleteI love the photos of the pets and the idea of them all living together. I love Miranda's illustration of exactly that. My favorite of the haiku are rabbit sneaking between the cat's legs to get to the bowl and the bird singing with the microwave. Did you hear the interview with Jean Craighead George's children on Science Friday? http://www.sciencefriday.com/segment/04/11/2014/with-her-kids-help-jean-craighead-george-s-ice-whale-sees-print.html
ReplyDeleteIt's hilarious and only 15 minutes.
No, I hadn't heard that Science Friday-- too funny! Thanks for sharing the link. I'm not sure how I'd feel about showering with an owl, but it does give more insight into Jean Craighead George's HOW TO TALK TO YOUR CAT which I've read.
DeleteThanks, Michelle, and what fun, Tabatha! I'm partial also to III and the bird-and-microwave duet--the perfect pet-kitchen pairing.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Heidi, you can't beat live music with every meal either.
DeleteSo. Much. Fun!! I love them all, but would like to request a 5th: Peep Pecking Popcorn.
ReplyDeleteTabatha? The gauntlet's been thrown!
DeleteAnother true story for you:
DeleteThe whirring arrival
of the mini helicopter
sends popcorn everywhere
Well-played, Tabatha!
DeleteObviously, there's never a dull moment in your house!!
These pet-inspired haiku are wonderful. I love the look on the face of the kitty on the floor. Whoops! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteTabatha told me that was Emma whose legs Foo Foo ran through. Poor thing-- too much excitement for a nearly 18 yr. old kitty.
DeleteAwesome post, Michelle. I laughed at Tabatha's poems -- together they create quite a picture of life in her household. Of the photographs -- Peep in her popcorn bath/feast cracked me up.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Laura. I just love when writers hand me hilarity on a platter. Makes my job that much easier!
DeleteWonderful post, Michelle and Tabatha! Those pets are hilarious, and I love the drawing!
ReplyDeleteThanks Becky. Glad you liked it!
DeleteI love these and can just see the dance in the kitchen. Doomed dalliance made me think of the myna bird my brother had as a child. We could never teach him to talk, but he got the household noises down. When he wanted morning company and no one was up he would start making the morning kitchen noises, the lazy Susan turning, the squeak in the floor by the sink, even the whistle of the tea kettle. I also love the image of the bunny scooting under the cat's legs!
ReplyDeleteYou have the best stories, Sarah! I would have liked to have met that bird.
DeleteLove these creatures and the haiku they inspired. So glad I fell in to this blog!
ReplyDeleteHi Julieanne. I'm so glad you fell into this blog too! Feel free to drop by any time.
Delete