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Wed 12 Aug, 2020 12:25 am
For decades, a short poem or bit of prose has haunted me. It's by HP Lovecraft, and (of course) concerns a cat -- a kitten, I think. Here is all I can recall of it.
The poet has a garden he can apparently see from his sitting room or study. On the garden wall he can see a kitten or a small cat. There was something about a flower growing in a cranny in the wall, too. The mood is pensive and melancholy (of course).
It was short, perhaps 8 or 12 lines, and is not "The Garden".
The title may have been something simple like "To a Kitten on my Garden Wall", but I can find no such poem by Lovecraft or Dunsany, or anyone in that genre.
It was in a paperback, one of a set of Lovecraft writings I had about 50 years ago. The books were all tossed by my helpful Mom when I went off to join the USAF 50 years ago and I have never found such a complete collection of Lovecraft again.
@Seizan,
Lovecraft’s cat had a racist name which is why it's probably not mentioned in poetry sites.
The closest I can find is a story called The Rats in the Walls, but that sounds nothing like it.
@izzythepush,
Thanks. It wasn't a story (I know "The Rats in the Walls"), it was a poem. The cat/kitten wasn't named, just an observation of a cat/kitten on his garden wall, and a flower in a crack or a cranny in the same wall.
I asked a few poetry sites but no reply. But it's not surprising that the computers are maybe unmanned during this C19 crisis.
@Seizan,
I think it’s the racism. Google Lovecraft and the first thing that comes up is cat. Reputable poetry sites don’t want to be seen to condone racism.
@Seizan,
Seizan wrote:I asked a few poetry sites but no reply. But it's not surprising that the computers are maybe unmanned during this C19 crisis.
Maybe you should ask some H.P. Lovecraft fan sites.
I imagine that every poem ever written by H. P. Lovecraft is found in this book:
https://www.hippocampuspress.com/h.p-lovecraft/poetry/the-ancient-track-the-complete-poetical-works-of-h.-p.-lovecraft-revised-2nd-edition
But I can't guarantee it, so don't hate me if you spend $40 (plus tax and shipping I presume) and then find that the poem isn't there.
Maybe a local library has a copy of the book and you could investigate it for free.
@Seizan,
I seem to recall a poem in the extent of the "Rats in the Walls" tale.
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