ANCESTORS

They say I resemble
My ten times great-grandma
And it’s true that my features are hers
But great-grandad Ferdie
Is the forebear I favour
Although we have different furs.

He sailed the Atlantic
With the small boy who loved him
And when the ship hit a huge wave
He sensed there was danger
And meowed such a racket
That he and his family were saved.

I, too, have shown courage
And saw off a bulldog
Which rushed at our child in the street –
She fell off her bike
But I scratched the dog’s nose
And it beat a hasty retreat.

So though I don’t wear
Fancy collars or suits –
I don’t hold with that kind of thing –
I groom my fur daily
To a glossy black sheen
And my posture is that of a King.