Writers write about their cats & dogs, but I’ve always been inclined to dismiss the idea as clichéd, or worse, cutesy. Then again, I ‘ve had an outline in my “possibles” folder for the past year called “Cats I’ve Known,” a list of cats–my own and others’–that have played a part in my life. The cats would be placeholders, a way to write about life events, rather than about the cats themselves. Maybe some day….
And maybe that’s why I chose to give this title to a little vignette, a musing about the way we see things when we’re traveling, out of our dailyness, the cat in question just a distant sighting. At first I thought of it as a fragment that I would incorporate into something else, but then I got attached to it as a stand-alone and sent it out.
So here’s “Orange Cat,” published in Quickly, a journal of brief works of any kind as long as it’s less than 703 (!) words. The piece was also published in this year’s San Diego City College print journal, City Works, where I had the honor of being named the National Award Winner for another piece that I’ll be posting soon.
Hmmm, I’ve had three orange cats–want to hear about Rusty, Charlie and Sweetie?
Alice Lowe -- still writing 
Wonderful and deceptively simple piece. This is so sparse and clear and, as with all your recent pieces, so colorful that I am right there with you.
Not at all what I’d expected. I thought I was going to read something to take me back in time with a certain sweet person named Sweetie.
Is it possible that the mysterious Rosalie Esther is none other than la mia cara Carolina the Tillingite? Be assured that should there ever be an expose of a person named Sweetie, his friends Oscar, Bob, Antony, Lochy, Thibby & … (oh my, I’ve misplaced two), won’t be forgotten. http://www.aliceloweblogs.wordpress.com
Si Si – sono io. I’m sure you would know Georgie (named for Georgino Mio don’t you know) and Barney would be thrilled to be included in the story of the Magnificent Seven. And for future reference, Antny spelled his name as it was pronounced – Boston style. I’m pleased as punch to read your lovely writings. We read them aloud to one another and just marvel at your wonderfulness.