Friday, June 21, 2013

young and silly, a brief diversion


We have a new kitten in our house.  Allegedly born somewhere around Valentine’s day, she’s now in the stage where everything is prey.  The belt of my robe has fallen to her stealth, and the stuffed Mr. Burns doll (yes, recall the Simpsons) needs to have his stuffing put back in nearly every day.  She’s wild, vital, and completely alive in every sense.

One of her favorite toys is a laser pointer.  When she bites on the things that she should not bite, we get out the pointer.  She recognizes that the appearance of the black metal cartridge precedes the fun, and goes onto high alert when it is brandished.  We use it to imitate an insect, zooming briefly on the floor and then disappearing, only to return somewhere else soon.  When it is invisible, the kitten sits intently, applying every sense to the discovery of the dot.  As I watched her this morning, I realized she was SNIFFING for it, hunting it with even those senses that were obviously not (to our minds, anyway) involved.  How like the seer she is, I thought.

We not only see, WE SEEK.

Blessed be thou.