The Kitten

I was walking on the pavement, on my way home,
Passing through the area where alley cats roam.
It was evening, the sky was a cloudy grey,
Death had never bothered me until that day.

I heard some angry, howling, brawling tomcats,
I passed some sweet cat litters, nested in old hats.
I saw a little tail, swishing in the air.
I smelt rotting food, for a long time left there.

Suddenly I had to stop, dead in my tracks,
I saw a kitten lying dead on a pile of bricks.
Its white fur was stained brown with dried blood
Its paws and face were dirty with caked mud.

It looked so pathetic, simply lying there,
I wish I could have picked it up and carried it down the stair.
I had seen and fed that kitten, many times before
But I knew I never would again, of that I still am sure.

I missed it still, months later, that kitten that I\'d fed,
I\'m still not sure how it died, but I know that it was dead.
I mourned its loss, but I know I\'ll find another kitten as a \"pet\" ,
Yet I know that was one kitten which I never will forget.