The Magical Mr. Mistoffelees

Was there ever
A Cat so clever
As Magical Mr. Mistoffelees!

I have a cat. And I love my cat, she’s completely mad, but we love her all the same. It’s also been a while since I’ve done a poem and, seeing, as I now have a very pretty little kitty, who, like Mr. Mistoffelees is all black. I had to do this one. This is a childhood favourite, I remember the book I had as a child, which was masterfully illustrated. I wondered whether I loved the illustrations or the poem itself. But when I came to revisit this poem, unfortunately under the saddest of circumstances, the poem brought back a plethora of good childhood memories that counteracted the bittersweetness of re-reading this poem again.

So who is Mr. Mistoffelees? He is a mischievous little cat. He is a conjuror an inventor and a down right cheek! 

You ought to know Mr. Mistoffelees!

The Original Conjuring Cat-

…

There’s no such cat in the metropolis;

He holds all the patent monopolies

For performing surprising illusions

And creating eccentric confusions.

Basically this cat is a cad, a dandy, a down right tease. Eh might look cute and fluffy but he’s a little damn terror. As a cat owner myself,  and I own a black cat to boot, I completely understand. There is something wonderful about T.S. Eliot and how he manages to purrfectly (see what I did there) capture the essence of every cat that has ever been and ever will be:

He is quiet and small, he is black
From his ears to the tip of his tail;
He can creep through the tiniest crack
He can walk on the narrowest rail.

 Or maybe its just my cat?  They are agile and fearless, it is so utterly delightful if it wasn’t for my anxiety levels steadily rising at the adventurous dexterous cat. ‘Fear’ is not a word that seems to exist in the cat dictionary. Unfortunatley, my cat is not as devious at the magical Mr. Mistoffelees

He is equally cunning with dice;
He is always deceiving you into believing
That he’s only hunting for mice.

 There is a main difference between cats and dogs, dogs never seem to grow up from their puppy hood, sure, they may get bigger in size. But dogs are full of boundless joy – at least they show it with their tails that wag like mad when you arrive. Dogs will jump, give you cuddles and so on, they’ll beg you to throw the ball and pull the most ridiculous faces whilst they roll joyfully around in the mud. But cats, cats are different and the reason why Eliot’s version is so masterful is that all cat owners can relate:

 His manner is vague and aloof,
You would think there was nobody shyer—
But his voice has been heard on the roof
When he was curled up the fire.

 The magical Mr. Mistoffelees, a cat of majestic magical powers the main showman of this fabulous poem. It is as beautifully crafted as he is crafty, cat lovers will forever unite under this ode to our purring little friends who are sometimes not as cuddly as we may want them to be, but all the same:

 And we all say: OH!
Well I never!
Was there ever
A Cat so clever
As Magical Mr. Mistoffelees!