Greetings, friends!
I recently learned that two of my poems earned first place prizes in this year’s Poetry Society of Texas Annual Awards. I’m proud to share that “Upon Running into a Former Sweater at Goodwill” and “Eating the Watermelon Moon” will appear in PST’s A Book of the Year 2023.
While I can’t give you a sneak peek at the winning poems yet, I’d like to share one that did not win a prize, but which I’m fond of for personal reasons.
As you may remember, I spent July searching for, finding, rescuing, and fostering a litter of stray kittens. After we found homes for the first five, hubby and I decided to keep the last kitten. Indigo is 5 1/2 months old now and fills our home with a warm, furry, bouncy, playful joy. He had his neutering surgery a couple of weeks ago, and it reduced his energy levels by 0%. Now we are in the fun stage where every other day or so we find one of his baby teeth, often in our clothing, as he likes to remove the loose ones by biting our arms. 🙄
I wrote this poem back in August, when Indie was a baby. It still makes me smile, and so does he, every day. I hope you enjoy it. 💙
Indigo You are the I in Roy G. Biv the color of a lake at twilight the shade of wonder Light plays on your silky fur like sunshine plays on waves like you play— bursts of joy and stillness blending caution and chance Your eyes are full moons absorbing all the new soaking it up like rain during a drought Each reach of your paw brings just-born delight and knowledge of your small universe Oh, Indie, your kitten-ness chases the gloom away reveals an innocence this world is missing Never stop learning Never stop romping Never stop purring So much depends upon your little blue soul © Carie Juettner, 2022
Carie Juettner 
The sweetest! And those pictures! Congrats again on your wins, Juett! I cannot wait to read them (though I think I’ve read Upon Running into a Former Sweater at Goodwill). ❤
Thank you! 🙂
I appreciate your love for and joy in this little guy. I like best the photo on the red shirt, though they’re all cute. I havePearly and Lark, grown now but still dear companions..
I love that photo, too. That’s when he was younger, and it shows his little kitten belly. ❤
I had a wild blue Burmese cat come in out of the forest and move into my house to have three kittens when I moved to the Redwoods in CA 36 years ago. All became permanent members of my family. Only one was left to move with me to Mexico and he is now gone, too. They were lovely kitties. When they were tiny I came into the dining room one day and the mother had the babies all lined up at the screen of the sliding doors to the porch and outside was a big British blue male cat. I think he must have been the father visiting, but I never saw him again. Once the mother cat had weaned them, she disappeared as well. I guess she knew a good home for her kids when she saw it! If I can find a photo, I’ll send a link. I take it Indigo is a blue Burmese? Good name.
What a sweet story! Especially the part about the dad visiting. 🙂 Indigo is a Texas stray. His mother is a grey tabby. Three of her babies were tabbies, one was a tortie, and two were blue. So I don’t know Indie’s breed. I just assume he’s a beautiful blue mutt. 🙂