From Alley Cat to School Mascot

In a shadowed alley, small and grey,
A kitten blinked, then looked away.
No cozy lap, no gentle warm hand,
​Just cold brick walls in a lonely land.

But then, a carriage, grand and tall,
Stopped by the wall, he heard a call.
A girl with eyes like summer skies,
Said, "Look, a kitty, what a surprise!"

She scooped him up, a furry blur,
And took him where no cats were sure
​Would ever be a home so grand,
A boarding school, a learning land!

Stone hallways echoed, long and deep,
When students studied, he wouldn't sleep.
But whispers spread of a secret friend,
This tiny cat helps their woes to mend.

He'd nap on books in history class,
And chase the light from the window glass.
He'd purr so loud in math's long sigh,
And bat at all the ink as pens flew by.

At midnight feasts, he'd sneak a bite,
Of buttered toast in candlelight.
He'd curl up warm by the fire's glow,
And listen to the stories that flow.

No longer stray, no longer cold,
Through this little cat, a story is told.
He has found a home, a loving place,
Our furry old friend, with a gentle grace.

© 2025 Daniel James Harris. All rights reserved.​