Poetry Friday: Black Cats and Costumes

I am putting more and more on my writing plate. I’ve been maintaining two blogs – here and also on Medium.com. It’s been fine and my wonderful WordPress followers – over 800 of them – have still been reading my posts. In addition, I’ve had a good month on Medium. com and feel confident I will make my goal of $10.00 this month in revenue.

I’ve been looking at some past Halloween photos. My sons are all grown now, with my youngest turning 21 in September. But, my sister sent me a photo of my oldest in a superman costume that I made with the help of my husband. I am sure my middle son (I have three sons) wore the costume five years later when he was about the same age at Halloween. I have been digging to find that photo. Anyway, the first Halloween as a parent had me motivated to make my one-year-old’s costume. And, I did! Thus, it started me down the road of making homemade costumes each year for all three of my boys and sometimes, my husband and me, also! It was fun and the photos provide treasured memories.

I enjoyed making our costumes and thank all of my guys for wearing what I sewed up for them! There is a black cat in our family now, too. Here is a poem I wrote about him several weeks ago. I hope you enjoy it and have a safe, happy, Halloween!

Independent Cat

Black as the night

And nimble too

You won’t hear me

Come to you.


I don’t like to be held

As some of my kind do,

But I’ll let you pet me

Although those minutes are few.

Very independent

And curious, I am

I’ll investigate every corner

Even if it ends in a jamb.

And when I’m tired,

I can open the door

To my own kitchen cupboard

Not far off the floor.

There I will sleep

Most of the day through

Until it’s time to rise again

And meow for you!

© Draft, Carol Labuzzettta, 2022.

Today is Poetry Friday! Our host is Jone Rush MacCullogh on her blog of the same name. Jone has a lot going on in the world of poetry, so be sure to stop by and read her piece today. You can also contribute to Poetry Friday by leaving a link to your poetry and comment on other poets’ work. Thank you for hosting, Jone!

20 thoughts

    1. Hi Tricia, Yes! We are too. He found a way to open a bottom cupboard and climbs inside to hide or sleep. My son (it’s his cat) had to clear everything out of the cupboard for him. So fun to watch! And, smarr!

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    1. Thanks, Laura! I did enjoy making them (most of the time). Some years, I felt pressure to get them done. We had more group costumes as the boys got older – The Munsters, Gilligan’s Island, and Wizard of Oz (pictured). I have to dig some more photos out but with our move, it’s been difficult to find things! LOL. Thanks for stopping by!

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  5. Carol, your costumes are wonderful. The boys were lucky to have a Mom that is creative and can sew. My mother was the talented seamstress in our family. My little grandgirls are wearing costumes this year that were made by my Mom for their Mommy and Uncle D. Happy Halloween. Perhaps you will add one of your image poems to my Finding Fall 2022 Padlet Gallery at https://padlet.com/cvarsalona/awz68cfim4nac1rp.

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    1. Thanks, Carol! My grandma was the seamstress that encouraged me to sew. She made all of our clothes when my sister and I were little! Everything from winter coast to bathing suits! Talk about talent! Whew! I am not as accomplished but the boys really motivated me to make costumes! I hope your grandgirls enjoy wearing a costume that you wore! How fun is that?! But, if they’re made well – they last for a long time! I’ll try to add to your padlet. We’re having overnight company today so I don’t know how much time I’ll have to fool with it. Thanks, again

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  7. Wow, those costumes are amazing. I made a few when my kids were young, a clown, a ghost, and the hardest, a robot! They are fun memories always. Your “Peanut” grandcat, right? is beautiful, just have to keep him safe on Halloween.

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    1. Thanks, Linda. I actually kind of forgot about making these costumes until some popped up on a Shutterfly reminder. It was definitely an act of love! And yes, Peanut is our grandcat – he’s an indoor cat – and lives with our oldest son in La Crosse WI. We love having him visit though!

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  8. Carol,
    I loved the rhythm of your poem. Your sweet kitty seems like a dickens. Seeing the photos of the costumes makes me wish I had a photo of the pumpkin costume my mother made me and how I almost roasted in it (stuffed with newspaper)

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  9. Carol, your kitten is so cute. My cat loves to be pet, but she doesn’t like to be held unless I rock her in my arms. Love the rhyming details and rhythm in your poem! “I can open the door to my own kitchen cupboard” “There I’ll sleep” and “until it’s time to rise again/and meow for you!” are charming cat behaviors. They all have such different personalities. Your children in those amazing costumes are adorable. Thank you for sharing. Happy Halloween!

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  10. That bit about getting into the cupboard says so much about your cat’s “personality!” My cat Jennyanydots once found a portal in the back of our half-double’s linen closet and traveled through the skeleton of the house to fall through the ceiling tiles in our neighbor’s kitchen and hide in their bedroom closet! Cats!!!

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