Catseye

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Catseye (1985) (Post 232)

Catseye is one of those borderline cases. It so easily could have been a picture book in another time or another place. It is as long as many picture books and it tells a story. It was published back in the 1980s, but in a collection rather than as an independent story. I decided to include it here because I remember it far better than some of the mass market books I wrote, and because it has an interesting tag to it, and because I like it. 

It was written for a collection (I think it was Petrified Poems) that came out during the poetry resurgence of the 1980s. I had a problem with the last stanza, but fixed it up sixteen years later. Then, an illustrator who happened to read it loved it and sent me a picture for it. It's put away somewhere very safe... and predates the easy availability of scans, so I don't have a copy. The illustrator goes under the name of The Big Bamboo and for years I had no idea of his real identity. So here is the poem but not, alas, the picture. If I locate it I'll post it later.

CATSEYE

"Watch," said the witch unto her cat

"Watch and wait till I be back.

I be going down the hill

Folk have need of witch's skill."

Catseye, catseye, green as glass

Tens of scores of years do pass.

The cat sat down with folded paws

The cat sat down and watched the door

Sunrise came - the witch did not

The fire went out beneath the pot.

Catseye, catseye, green as glass

Tens of scores of years do pass.

Daylight faded, daylight died

Sunset flared across the sky

Stars and moon uncaring came

Cat with watchful eyes remained

Catseye, catseye, green as glass

Tens of scores of years do pass.

A plague had come and struck and killed

Since the witch went down the hill

The village crumbled, turned to grass

Tens of scores of years did pass

Catseye, catseye, green as glass

Tens of scores of years do pass.

Trees grow tall across the way

That once led to the witch's cave

But - "Watch," said the witch unto her cat.

"Watch and wait till I be back."

Catseye, catseye, green as glass

Tens of scores of years do pass.

So sleepless, ageless, waits the cat

For his mistress to come back

Summer sun dissolves in rain

He watches till she comes again

Catseye, catseye, green as glass

Tens of scores of years do pass.

When will Catseye's vigil end?

To reunite him with his friend?

When the earth grows tired and still -

Perhaps-

The witch will climb the hill.

Catseye, catseye, green as glass

Tens of scores of years have passed.

ABOUT THE BLOG

Sally is Sally Odgers; author, manuscript assessor, editor, anthologist and reader. She runs http://www.affordablemanuscriptassessments.com and Prints Charming Books. (Sally is me, by the way, and I am lots of other things too, but these are the relevant ones for now.)

The goal for 2017 is to write a post a day profiling the background behind one of my books; how it came to be written, what it's about, and any things of note that happened along the way. If you're an author, an aspiring author, a reader or just someone who enjoys windows into worlds, you might find this fun. The books are not in any special order, but will be assigned approximate dates, and pictures, where they exist. If you enjoyed a post, or want to ask about any of my books or my manuscript assessment service.