Rolling cats

The sea’s always nibbling at our crumby city walls.

Yet the wind, oh that wind, sings merry dance for the gulls,

And drifts endless blossoms of minty tea and salts,

With a dash of tasty fishes which sailor men have caught.

 

We watch as people babble about their paper and their gold,

They swap it for trinkets and the smile at the road.

While we beg for our breakfasts, our dinners and our teas,

But like the alms seekers, no people need we.

 

True, some kick us, some chase us, but like smart city rats

We’re so good at hiding, folk think we’re just one cat.

All over the city comes that familiar call:

“Oh scabby old moggy, why live here at all?”

 

Well……

When the church bells stop chiming it brings on dark o’clock,

The people rush home to bed, slamming doors, bang click lock.

All day we’ve eaten rubbish, but we’ve been talking to our fleas.

We’re going rock ‘n’ rolling. “Who’s rolling out with me?”

 

It starts in the plaza – there’s Billy, there’s Tom!

Who’s that stretching their paws out? It’s Kate, come along!

Link front legs and back legs and tails now…….woooooaaaaahhhh!

Steady the giant cat ball. Now grow grow grow!

 

Move round. Form a wheel, for these narrow old town streets,

Rolling faster than the birds fly, oh what a treat.

With no one to see us we roll around the boats,

We pause at the tower top and we number six dozen coats.

 

In the market we make hair clips from fishy little spines.

Lap oils from old fish heads before warm dawn’s chime.

We knock the barrow of the man who’s cheating with his prices,

Bounce on the canons. BOOM BOOM BOOM! Once, twice, thrice!

 

Final lap on the city wall, the sun’s upon the brow….

We’re too big for the city gates! Crash bang, meeeoooowww.

Run home, run fast all cats, each moggy to its mat.

And that’s why we love here; the world of rolling cats.