Poem: "Of Cats and Cosmic Strings"
Sep. 3rd, 2015 06:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis poem came out of the September 1, 2015 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from alexseanchai, mama_kestrel, technoshaman, and Anthony Barrette. It also fills the "enthused" square in my 8-31-15 card in the Tones Bingo fest, and the "thief" square in my 6-10-15 card for the ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
genprompt_bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by LJ user Ng_moonmoth. It belongs to the Schrodinger's Heroes project.
"Of Cats and Cosmic Strings"
They could never quite tell
which cat had started it all,
because by the time that
Alex and Ash got the controls
to stop yowling with alarms,
Good!Schrodinger and
Evil!Schrodinger were both
curled around the ball of
cosmic string with claws out.
Regrettably that was the moment
when Evil!Schrodinger managed
to get his teeth into the thing and
dart away down the hall, trailing
a few fragments of reality and
irrational numbers along the way.
"We need to get that thing away
from him before he figures out
how to open it," Bailey said, and
everyone nodded agreement.
"Working on it," said Alex,
her fingers busy at the keyboard.
"Uh huh," Chris said, and
moseyed out of the room.
"I'll see about getting
the dimensional door open,"
Ash said, hunching over her laptop.
"I guess that leaves me on
cat-hunting duty," said Kay
as she beckoned to Bailey.
Evil!Schrodinger led them
on a not-so-merry chase
over half of Waxahachie,
with a pause for chasing
pigeons in the park and
another when they almost
caught him behind Surf'n'Turf.
The yarn store turned into
a free-for-all of flying fur and
unfortunately liberated fiber,
ending with Kay sorting through
the wreckage in hopes of finding
the cosmic string (no luck there) and
Bailey promising the distraught owner
that Alex would cover everything, yes,
even the qiviut (whatever that was).
Much to their frustration, they
wound up right back at the Tef,
where Chris strolled by with something
tied to a bootlace and Evil!Schrodinger
swarming along behind batting at it.
"Howdy," Chris said. "Alex is
trying to figure out which universe
needs its ball of cracks put back in it,
whatever that means. I'm just
walking the devil-cat back
to his own door."
"Where did you get that?"
Bailey asked, shaking his head.
"What even is that thing?"
"Out the tacklebox, and it's
a spinnerbait for catchin' bass,"
Chris said. "All's I had to do
was cut the hook off it."
"But what if he lets go of it
before we get him back to
the dimensional door?"
Morgan asked.
"Rrrrooowwwl," said the cat,
gnawing enthustiastically
at the sparkling prize.
Chris just laughed.
"You ever seen a cat
turn loose of anything
fluffy and shiny?"
* * *
Notes:
String Theory connects with the Theory of Everything and suggests that all matter actually consists of tiny vibrating loops. Among the phenomena suggested are cosmic strings, which are super-massive ultra-thin cracks in the universe(s).
Qiviut is musk-ox wool which may be spun into luxurious, extremely expensive yarn.
The Nichols Hologram spinnerbaits have skirts made with holographic tinsel like this. The smooth, solid pattern of the blades create a rainbow flash to attract bass, or in this case evil white cats. The fishing department is an excellent source of materials for constructing cat toys that are intended for use under human supervision; just don't let them chew off and swallow the parts.
alexseanchai, mama_kestrel, technoshaman, and Anthony Barrette. It also fills the "enthused" square in my 8-31-15 card in the Tones Bingo fest, and the "thief" square in my 6-10-15 card for the genprompt_bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by LJ user Ng_moonmoth. It belongs to the Schrodinger's Heroes project."Of Cats and Cosmic Strings"
They could never quite tell
which cat had started it all,
because by the time that
Alex and Ash got the controls
to stop yowling with alarms,
Good!Schrodinger and
Evil!Schrodinger were both
curled around the ball of
cosmic string with claws out.
Regrettably that was the moment
when Evil!Schrodinger managed
to get his teeth into the thing and
dart away down the hall, trailing
a few fragments of reality and
irrational numbers along the way.
"We need to get that thing away
from him before he figures out
how to open it," Bailey said, and
everyone nodded agreement.
"Working on it," said Alex,
her fingers busy at the keyboard.
"Uh huh," Chris said, and
moseyed out of the room.
"I'll see about getting
the dimensional door open,"
Ash said, hunching over her laptop.
"I guess that leaves me on
cat-hunting duty," said Kay
as she beckoned to Bailey.
Evil!Schrodinger led them
on a not-so-merry chase
over half of Waxahachie,
with a pause for chasing
pigeons in the park and
another when they almost
caught him behind Surf'n'Turf.
The yarn store turned into
a free-for-all of flying fur and
unfortunately liberated fiber,
ending with Kay sorting through
the wreckage in hopes of finding
the cosmic string (no luck there) and
Bailey promising the distraught owner
that Alex would cover everything, yes,
even the qiviut (whatever that was).
Much to their frustration, they
wound up right back at the Tef,
where Chris strolled by with something
tied to a bootlace and Evil!Schrodinger
swarming along behind batting at it.
"Howdy," Chris said. "Alex is
trying to figure out which universe
needs its ball of cracks put back in it,
whatever that means. I'm just
walking the devil-cat back
to his own door."
"Where did you get that?"
Bailey asked, shaking his head.
"What even is that thing?"
"Out the tacklebox, and it's
a spinnerbait for catchin' bass,"
Chris said. "All's I had to do
was cut the hook off it."
"But what if he lets go of it
before we get him back to
the dimensional door?"
Morgan asked.
"Rrrrooowwwl," said the cat,
gnawing enthustiastically
at the sparkling prize.
Chris just laughed.
"You ever seen a cat
turn loose of anything
fluffy and shiny?"
* * *
Notes:
String Theory connects with the Theory of Everything and suggests that all matter actually consists of tiny vibrating loops. Among the phenomena suggested are cosmic strings, which are super-massive ultra-thin cracks in the universe(s).
Qiviut is musk-ox wool which may be spun into luxurious, extremely expensive yarn.
The Nichols Hologram spinnerbaits have skirts made with holographic tinsel like this. The smooth, solid pattern of the blades create a rainbow flash to attract bass, or in this case evil white cats. The fishing department is an excellent source of materials for constructing cat toys that are intended for use under human supervision; just don't let them chew off and swallow the parts.
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(no subject)
Date: 2015-09-03 11:52 pm (UTC)I wonder if someone on the SH team might make use of the qiviut, if any of it's salvageable. Quinn? Hmm.
Thoughts
Date: 2015-09-04 12:37 am (UTC)Yay!
>> I wonder if someone on the SH team might make use of the qiviut, if any of it's salvageable. Quinn? Hmm. <<
Pat is the craftiest member of the team, although Quinn seems to love anything with bright colors.
Even the qivuit!
Date: 2015-09-04 12:32 am (UTC)Re: Even the qivuit!
Date: 2015-09-04 12:36 am (UTC)Probably few if any are unsalvageable, although quite a lot are unsaleable.
>>Now I keep wondering if that "bear" relative of Chris' would enjoy felted qivuit... or if the coffee table would!<<
Likely so; it's wonderful stuff.
(no subject)
Date: 2015-09-04 01:19 am (UTC)Chris is definitely a cat person... you can't chase a cat and expect to achieve anything other than chaos. [which was probably Evil!Schrödinger's intention all along].
Yes...
Date: 2015-09-04 01:21 am (UTC)I have often said this in regards to Pagan leadership. To herd cats you need only open a can of tuna, yell "Here kitty kitty kitty!" and walk in the direction you want the cats to go.
>> Chris is definitely a cat person... you can't chase a cat and expect to achieve anything other than chaos. [which was probably Evil!Schrödinger's intention all along]. <<
Exactly! :D
Re: Yes...
Date: 2015-09-04 01:23 am (UTC)and try not to get tripped up, some cats are sneakier than others!
Re: Yes...
Date: 2015-09-04 01:29 am (UTC)Re: Yes...
Date: 2015-09-04 01:38 am (UTC)Re: Yes...
Date: 2015-09-04 01:44 am (UTC)Re: Yes...
Date: 2015-09-04 03:30 am (UTC)Re: Yes...
Date: 2015-09-04 03:51 am (UTC)When Delphi did it, Uncle David and I laughed about it and loved on her. Uncle Dee understood. And she still gets excited when he comes to visit.
Thanks for sharing this poem! I always love your work that involved cats. Maybe Victor and Igor will adopt a kitty someday? Some furry love might be healing for them.
-tresta
Re: Yes...
Date: 2015-09-04 04:04 am (UTC)Wow! Some cats are shoulder-friends and others not, same with jumping. The best birding cat we ever had would leap and take down sparrows on the wing, but never caught a songbird -- those were warier.
>> Thanks for sharing this poem! <<
You're welcome.
>> I always love your work that involved cats.<<
:D Many of the Schrodinger's Heroes poems are about cats.
>> Maybe Victor and Igor will adopt a kitty someday? Some furry love might be healing for them. <<
See "Dance on the Table."
Re: Yes...
Date: 2015-09-04 10:24 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2015-09-04 07:18 pm (UTC)Thank you!
Date: 2015-09-05 04:00 am (UTC)My father laughed out loud over his copy. Day: made.