Showing posts with label domestication. Show all posts
Showing posts with label domestication. Show all posts

Friday, February 19, 2021

The Domestication of Cats

Cats domesticated themselves--how
could it have been otherwise?--ten
thousand years ago. Farming brought

grain, which brought rodents, which
enticed cats out of the forest. Impeccable
feline logic connected such exquisite

dining with the large lumbering 
two-legged beasts who made such noise,
lived in crowds but were lonely,

and couldn't resist two moon-eyes
glowing at them. That cold stare
above a permanent frown and below

radar ears, the subterranean surf
of purring, day-long languor, 
explosive honed rage: all of it

belongs to a calculation that padded
out of timber and brush, sniffed, leered,
hired us, and moved in. 


hans ostrom 2021

Friday, June 12, 2015

Domestication

Some animals convened and reached
a consensus: they must domesticate us.
Self-evidently mad and self-destructive
as well as hard on other species,
we bore watching. So several

kinds of wild cats, wolves, and birds
sacrificed their careers, edged close
to our encampments, caves, and migrating
groups. They showed us the rudiments
about what to feed them, how to be patient.

The closer they became to us, the more
appalled they were by our illogic,
our lying and our frenzy. Even in sleep,
we thrashed about. Plus animal-sacrifice,
so stupid. Descendants of the animals

that domesticated us still try
to educate us and mitigate
our recklessness. Because of
the stress involved, they nap
a lot and get sad.



hans ostrom 2015