The Cat and the Milkman

The milkman, I tell you,
was all of a dither
when he saw what he'd taken
the pains to deliver
fast in the paws
of a cat black as coal,
sitting atop of
a telephone pole!
Though you'd never guess,
he was nevertheless
sitting atop of a telephone pole!


it was a morning
a regular tuesday
a workday, a schoolday,
and also a newsday;
but key to our story
and crucial to state:
the milk was delivered
each tuesday at eight.
eight ante meridian,
they let out the kitty and
picked up the milk in the morning at eight.


the cat, like a cat, was
attracted to dairy
(you'll notice that fact is
not extraordinary--
but slick was this cat,
he was quick, that was that,
's philosophy was to eat, drink, and be merry),
and he had a plot that
might not get him caught
to make off with the milk, though the prospect was scary


light was his step when
he slipped out the house
quiet as needs be
to reel in a mouse
so everyone feared
when the milk disappeared
that they ought to be on the lookout for a louse
but if they knew the ilk
of who'd taken their milk,
i tell you this truly they'd furrow their brows.


his method was nothing that
you could'na begat
'twas simple as find-
ing a pimple to pick at!
All fast in his paws
he did catch with his claws
a bottle of milk from the step where it sat
one must give pause
maybe drop one's jaws,
"fancy that, look, look at the milk thief--it's a cat!"


Terrified, the verifed
feline thief
ran half in fear and half
in disbelief
climbed to a height where
he knew or 'tleast thought
that he, sure as hea-
ven, would never be caught
by the well-meaning, old, son-of-a-daught-
er who brought the bought milk that the black cat sought


I'm certain you know where
this story is going
if not, then just follow
the sound of the meowing
up that pole where
the cat's sitting owing
to circumstances put in place by th'all-knowing
beyond his control
he's atop of the pole
as sure as the drought-tortured grass is not growing.


The milkman, I tell you,
was all of a dither
when he saw what he'd taken
the pains to deliver
fast in the paws
of a cat black as coal,
sitting atop of
a telephone pole!
Though you'd never guess,
he was nevertheless
sitting atop of a telephone pole!