One Badly Burned Tongue

A cat is blessed with lives abundant,
If living nine times seems not redundant.
But, oh dear cat, why such a waste,
When you pursue your fate with haste?

I had a cat named Ebenezer;
And to be quite frank he was a geezer.
A veteran of foreign wars,
When his neighbors’ yards he did explore.

His battle scars had left him worn;
His expression was nothing but forlorn.
The mice once trembled at his name,
Now they gloated to his shame.

And talk about picky, you should’ve seen
His disgust at the average delicacy.
Sashimi, oh yes! But canned tuna no.
Steak and lobster were the way to go.

Then came to pass that fateful day,
The one that turned my hair partly gray.
Ebenezer wanted steak, and in a hurry,
As around the kitchen I began to scurry.

I carefully unwrapped the filet mignon,
And with expert touch turned the gas on.
Yet Ebenezer’s impatience was plain to see,
He flicked his tail as he glowered at me.

The steak had just begun to broil
When his muscles started their recoil.
Like Samson recovering his ancient strength
Ebenezer leaped through the air full-length!

With a mighty swat he sent the steak flying,
A succulent frisbee still a frying!
There on the floor the tempting treat lay,
And with one pounce Ebenezer cornered his prey.

His yowl sent shivers down my back,
As he staggered sideways like a top out of whack.
Gasping and wheezing he dashed for the door,
Across the street and out of sight he tore.

Ebenezer returned a repentant cat.
One badly burned tongue, but imagine that,
Friskies or leftovers, it was all okay,
But surely he used his ninth life that day.