he was my dear and dignified companion;
in motion he was as elegantly lithe
as Baryshnikov's leaps;
even stretched lazily on the rug,
he was as graceful as a sailboat skimming before the wind;
not for him Rosie the calico's trusting belly-up pose!
He moved within his pelt like steel springs
wrapped in velvet;
pale golden eyes and golden brown coat;
each individual hair stippled cream and apricot and black.
Within the small confines of the fenced backyard
he was Emperor,
and woe betide that heedless feline who dared
to place a paw within his realm!
He gave no ground to beast or man
(leaving, I confess, some doubt as to his judgment);
he greeted the visiting Mastiff with complete aplomb,
showing only a mild interest in her size.
He was not a cuddly cat,
scorning laps and close proximity;
rather, accepting as his due a certain respectful affection.
Nor did he hesitate to demand his rights
by thrusting his sleek smooth head
against cheek or palm, commanding caresses,
in all matters
ever the perfect gentleman.