A Cat Named Ralph

December 12, 2008

I was given a book of poems about ten years ago, written by James Kavanaugh. The book is called, "There are Men Too Gentle to Live Among Wolves." It includes poems that immediately spoke to me then and continue to speak to me now. "My Easy God is Gone" brings out a unique appreciation for me of innocence. "To Begin to Live the Rest of My Life" is another beautiful expression of what can feel like crazy decisions in my life that are actually impossible to not make, as committment to life. The poems and others by him are well worth reading.

I also love the dedication in this book. It reminds me of the dog in my life that make me laugh and feel loved. It reminds me of the ever-burning sense I have that there is much happening in life, at all times. How much I value this inquiry.

"To

A cat named Ralph who makes me laugh and feel loved
And a tired old man who makes me cry and feel helpless.

But especially to those

Who can hear the honking of geese above the sound of traffic
Who can hear the weeping of boys above the sound of the mortars
Who refuse to take life as it is -- because it wasn't always."