Where the Wild Kitties Grow
At the edge of our town, there’s a house that I know
And there in the garden, the wild kitties grow
Sprouting like mushrooms all over the lawn
Mewling and helpless as if they’re just born
Surrounded by daisies and pansies and roses
Are torties and tabbies and greys with pink noses
No other house raises cats quite like this
Lying about in a state of pure bliss
What makes them bloom here? I’ll give you a hint
That green isn’t grass, it’s a plot of catmint
And there in the garden, the wild kitties grow
Sprouting like mushrooms all over the lawn
Mewling and helpless as if they’re just born
Surrounded by daisies and pansies and roses
Are torties and tabbies and greys with pink noses
No other house raises cats quite like this
Lying about in a state of pure bliss
What makes them bloom here? I’ll give you a hint
That green isn’t grass, it’s a plot of catmint
This poem is copyright (©) Melinda Szymanik 2024
About the Writer
Melinda Szymanik
Melinda is an award-winning New Zealand author of picture books, short stories and novels for children and young adults. Notable titles include The Were-Nana (Scholastic, 2008) winner of Children’s Choice at the 2009 NZ Post Children’s Book Awards, A Winter’s Day in 1939 (Scholastic, 2013) winner of Librarian’s Choice at the 2014 LIANZA Awards, and Fuzzy Doodle (Scholastic, 2016) a 2017 White Raven selection. She also writes poetry for adults and children, and regularly teaches creative writing.
