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Four Cats

By mike In

1. Njord

2. Spike

3. Tiamat

4. Oob

 

The music I compose tends to be fairly long; the first piece I wrote for Allegra Martin’s New Century Voices, aether, is no exception.  In response, Allegra challenged me to set haiku, thinking they would drastically limit the length of my pieces.  She was right.

Four Cats is a setting of four haiku written by friends about cats they have known.  Njord is a cat once described as a “big orange thug”.  Spike is an older cat who likes to eat spicy food, including sausage (as described in the poem) and hot salsa.  Tiamat is a very excitable cat who goes absolutely wild for ham, and will look for it in the unlikeliest of places.  Oob, my own cat, is a stray we took in who has a generally sweet disposition and likes having her tummy rubbed.

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I. Njord

I’m in the window.
You should be scratching my head.
Don’t make me smack you.

– Samuel R. Young, Esq.

 

II. Spike

Crazy old feline!
Eating spicy hot sausage.
Who would have guessed it?

– Kris Bruneau

 

III. Tiamat

I think I smell ham!
Maybe it’s in your armpit!
Tasty armpit ham!

– Samuel R. Young, Esq.

 

IV. Oob

Jiggly, Mike, Oob loaf.
One sphere, one sweetheart, one cat.
My life is complete.

– Emily Ronald