NaPoWriMo #9

 

No. 9.: More Than Cute

"Mittens," "Biscuit," "Muffin," you call

Since we, as carnivores, are small

We suffer through

To trick and woo

You gormless, stumbling apes;

Just go back to the 500s BCE

And hail our greatest victory

Yet no one knows

And so it goes

That we dominated warscapes.

Psametik III versus Cambyses II

Clashing Egypt and Persia, who

In secret

Used out Bastet -

Our mother goddess - to win;

Knowing we were worshipped, they

Threw cats on front lines straight away

As sacred beasts

The attack ceased

The Egyptians wouldn't do us in.

Though we did share the victory

With a larger worshipped menagerie

To us, the claim

Falls all the same

Cats won the Persians a war;

In modernity, we are snug

But like black spots on a ladybug

History revives

Out battle cries

Though cute, we mean much more.