The Tortoiseshell Cat

The tortoiseshell cat
She sits on the mat
As gay as a sunflower she;
In orange and black you see her blink,
And her waistcoat's white,
and her nose is pink,
And her eyes are green of the sea.
But all is vanity, all the way;
Twilight's coming, and close of day,
And every cat in the twilight's grey,
Every possible cat.

The tortoiseshell cat,
She is smooth and fat,
And we call her Josephine,
Because she weareth upon her back
This coat of colours, this raven black,
This red of the tangerine.
But all is vanity, all the way;
Twilight's coming, and close of day,
And every cat in the twilight's grey,
Every possible cat.

~  Patrick R. Chalmers  ~