Poet Rummager

Nekomata Cat Ghost (For Erica)

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Painting by Erica Borey (koalarazorclock)

I sit up in my *zaisu chair.

Is that you? Are you there?

Shadows flit across the floor.

Blackness hisses, run out the door!

Night has drawn the shades

on another day.

My lap is cold without your fur.

Yet in the corner, I hear you purr.

Transfixed on me, are two eyes of red.

I smile; not caring. I know you’re dead.

For it was me who buried you.

I’d carved the stone and sealed your tomb.

Yes, it was me who laid you to rest

before you’d taken one last breath.

Claws rake deep across my throat,

and before I can even shout,

my detached head slaps on the ground.

Ouch!

In Japan, cats and death go hand in hand. The nekomata cat ghost is said to have the powers of raising the dead. The more abused a cat has been, the more powerful its nekomata can become. Vengeance becomes a strong motivator for them.

*Zaisu is a Japanese chair with no legs.

To see more art by koalarazorclock and get a chance to win prizes, click HERE!

A Word From Erica Borey

icm_fullxfull.130264559_ir7n6iw9migw0c0cgw0oI’m just a lady that likes to paint people, pets, and random things I am inspired by, like Over the Garden Wall, awesome movies, and my baby girl. My strengths are watercolor, oil, and pencil, and my weaknesses are self-promotion and charging a respectable amount for a customized piece of art. I think my work is pretty darn good if I do say so myself, and you will probably like it if you get some. 

**Follow Erica**

www.etsy.com/shop/koalarazorclock
www.instagram.com/koalarazorclock/

87 comments

    • Well, I had to re-do it 5 times before I didn’t falter too badly. Public speaking is something I don’t particularly relish, but I suppose I can do it if need be. How about you? Would you be able to make a speech in a room full of people?

      Ha! You’re so funny, bro. 😀 😀

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  14. This is dark and eerie and excellent writing and just in time for Halloween. I wish you a scary, starry night and may all thing9 of another worldliness be with you.

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Your words gave me chills. Shel! Thank you. Cats in folklore are supposed to be able to steal a person’s soul when they’re asleep. They lay on the victim’s chest and steal their soul through the person’s breath! Don’t sleep with your mouth open, or you’re in trouble.

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  19. If that cat was abused, I’m glad his ghost fought back. I didn’t know this about the Japanese legends.

    My daughter was sure she felt the ghost of her cat after he died. I thought I did, too. She was a senior in high school, and it was sudden and very sad. 😦

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    • Yes, abusing anything should always experience karma’s wrath.

      I’ve had a couple of instances of departed pet “visits.” One that will always haunt me was when we had to put down Barney, our Boston Terrier. About a couple of days afterwards, my dad was coming home from work when a UPS guy told him as he was getting back in the truck that our dog was barking like crazy behind the front door. Barney was an amazing guard dog. It felt as if he was still watching over us. That incident; however, never repeated itself. Who knows? Perhaps they find a way of saying “goodbye” and that they love us still? 😊

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