Cat Lady is a narrative poem about the pines, fountains and stray cats of Rome.
ABOUT CAT LADY:To the average tourist in Rome, Maria may be just an old lady, (gattara), who feeds the city's stray cats and thinks that she can talk to them, yet things are rarely as they seem. Her powers are incredible! She CAN talk to cats! And they talk back!! (It helps that the cats are enchanted too!), and to those who truly love, and seek her assistance, the impossible is only an illusion.
A few will snort and call her geezer;
Friend, they say, to Julius Caesar.
Others turn way and mutter
"Strega," cross themselves and sputter.
Old Maria's heard it all,
Can't hear, or care, what names they call.
She has her work to do, and that's
To feed the city's feral cats.
Cat Lady by Mary M. Schmidt Author/Poet, is dedicated to the feral cats of Rome and Friends of Roman Cats.
"Your family is a splendid scene,"
Maria tells the feline queen,
"How goes it on this day for you?"
Queen Bast then sighed, "If you but knew!
I feel as if I could just drop!
These kittens here? They never stop!
The Coliseum, in it's day,
Did never see such a display!
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They have no concept of decorum,
Running wild all through the Forum,
Through the Senate! Round the column!
Thanks to them, there's nothing solemn,
Earth the noble Caesars trod,
Is now home to a kitten squad!
They even pounce, with rapid spurts,
Those tourists, in Hawaiian shirts!
A "PURR" Delight! The story is told in 44 pages and each page of the story is a poem consisting of eight lines. The cadence flows beautifully and the sentiment will be deeply appreciated by those who dedicate their lives to helping feral cats. That being said, it is a narrative poem for ALL cat lovers. I hadn't known about the feral cat population in Rome prior to reading Mary's book and I thank her for the beautiful way she has honored them.
About the Author: Mary M. Schmidt was a student in Rome during the 60s and came to know of the many feral cat colonies in the Eternal City. She is an author of prose, poetry, and was a member of Poets Against the Iraq War. She currently lives outside of Washington DC with her cat, Graycie.
ISBN-13:
9781483436104
Publisher:
GIVE-AWAY:TWO OF OUR READERS located anywhere in the world will each win a copy of Cat Lady by Mary M. Schmidt. (An approx $10 value). The give-away is open now and will end at 5pm EST on Thursday, October 1st. Winners will be announced on or around Saturday, October 3rd.
TO ENTER:Just leave a comment stating that you would like to be entered to win a copy.
Good luck!
In full disclosure:I was not compensated for this review/give-away. I was sent a copy of Cat Lady in exchange for my honest review.
Neat video. The big white kitty at 1:10 looks like he enjoys visitors and attention.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to have a place where they can live. We loved the video and the poem :) Pawkisses for a wonderful weekend :) <3
ReplyDeleteWe'd love to win a copy of CAT LADY.......super great idea for a book and we love the poem format.
ReplyDeleteHugs, Sammy
What an awesome book/poem. I'd love to own a copy. I hope this book is extremely successful and sells millions of copies.
ReplyDeleteWe hope so too!!
DeleteI am sure this book will do well, loved that vid :-)
ReplyDeleteHave a meowtastic weekend :-)
We sure hope so too! You have a "meowtastic" weekend as well!
DeleteThat sounds like such a great book. I would love to win it. How fun is that to have the story told in poems. Have a great day Caren and family.
ReplyDeleteIt is well written. I can't write poetry for the life of me and this is beautifully written! Thank you and you have a great day too! xoxo
DeleteHow super wonderful to have a book like that!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a neat book, and like you said, a wonderful way to honor the feral kitties of Rome. We will pass on the giveaway, as we have a few books lined up that we've won but haven't had a chance to read yet.
ReplyDeleteThat book looks absolutely beautiful! Would love to win a copy :)
ReplyDeleteI would love to have the book. I like ready poetry and this sounds like a great book on poetry.
ReplyDeleteSounds great. We saw all the cats when we were there....amazing.
ReplyDeleteI loved the video. That was amazing and I didn't even know about it until today. I'd help too.
ReplyDeleteHave a purrfect day Cody. My best to your wonderful mom. ♥♥♥
I would love to see them and I am so grateful there are those who care for them. They are blessed people.
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ReplyDeleteHow wonderful!! I visited Rome's Torre Argentina last October. It's extraordinary!! Cats everywhere--climbing on the ancient ruins and sunning themselves. Plus there is a shelter below street level that houses cats. Some are special needs kitties, and some are available for adoption. I will definitely buy the book!
ReplyDelete;-)
Love it! What a great idea for a book and such clever poems.
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a lovely book! We didn't know about the kitties in Rome either! We'd love a chance to win too!
ReplyDeletePawsum video, gweat review. Sounds wunnewful. Hope y'all have a gweat week.
ReplyDeleteLuv ya'
Dezi and Lexi
I would love to win a copy of Cat Lady. It looks wonderful to read.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a lovely book. The video is great too. When my mum and dad were in Rome, they went into a park to sit in the shade for a while because it was so hot. They saw lots of cat feeding stations and many ferals relaxing under the trees. The park was right beside the busy tourist area but so nice and quiet.
ReplyDeleteRome is such a beautiful city. It is nice to know there are equally beautiful people there who protect and care for these feral cats.
ReplyDeletethe critters in the cottage xo
I would love to win your book, it sounds great.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a nice book.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great book and it's so wonderful that these cats are being taken care of. I would enjoy reading this book very much. Count me in. That video was wonderful.
ReplyDeletehttp://wishesdreamsandotherthings.blogspot.com/2015/09/friday-fun-september-25-2015.html
Sounds like a great book!
ReplyDeletePlease enter me--sounds like a great read.
ReplyDelete