Martian Cats
Lisa Timpf
We miners often dreamed of Martian cats—
impractical it seems, and yet they stalked our dreams, those Martian cats.
When rats arrived as stow-aways, concealed in careless cargo bays
the time had come to bring in Martian cats.
At first, the work was nice and they took their pay in mice
but they soon grew tired of serving, Martian cats.
After terraforming, the wildlife was swarming—
a buffet waiting for those Martian cats.
They left us one red night, after setting free the mice,
and turned from tame to feral Martian cats.
Prowling regolith together, thick as felines of a feather—
now you’ll never tether Martian cats.
I’ve dug up tons of ore, but it seems the comp’ny store
still owns me—unlike clever Martian cats.
I’ve packed some gear and catnip, it’s time for an outback trip—
this miner’s off to join those Martian cats.
-END-
“Martian Cats”, © Lisa Timpf, first published here in Cosmic Roots & Eldritch Shores, March 18, 2025
Lisa Timpf is a retired HR and communications professional who lives in Simcoe, Ontario. Her poetry has appeared in New Myths, Star*Line, and other venues. Her haibun poetry collection, In Days to Come, is available from Hiraeth Publishing. You can find out more about Lisa’s writing projects at http://lisatimpf.blogspot.com/.
Illustration by Fran Eisemann, using public domain stock.
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