Annville Paradise Is Also Cat Paradise Poem by NHIEN NGUYEN MD

We have eight cats.
Inside our house, Ashes and Noel are chums
Together, they play, they race and jump.
They play wrestling and they made loud noise when they race.
At times, they just look at each other
They rest on corners of our bed, wagging their tails in their daze.
They compete for upper level of their cat tower
Because from there, they can see farther and higher sky.

We didn't plan to raise cats
They came to our place just by God's will.
Ashes was hungry so she begged for food
My son had pity on her so he gave her food and drink.

Noel arrived a year later.
Facing cold weather and with hungry stomach, two cats became friends.
When Noel failed to show up for several days
Ashes felt very sad from missing Noel and didn't want to eat.
From the day that Noel was taken inside our house
He has been quite pleasant and lovable.

During winter time, it was freezing cold outside
Shadow came, shaken by hunger and cold, begged for help.
We planned to feed this cat through that winter
And would decrease feeding portion when Spring arrived.

We were totally surprised during middle of next Spring
That Shadow became the mother of her five cute kittens.
So, we decided to help feeding the mother and her kittens.
Because the mother cat needed food so she could nurse her kittens.
When her kittens didn't need her milk, she left
She decided to let her kittens inherit the Annville Paradise.

A month later, the mother found herself to be hungry
She decided to return asking for food, every day.
After having meals, immediately she left
Because her kittens inherited this land, and she came as their guest.
It has been a year and a half, since she stopped nursing
That she only returned for food and then she left.

Mother cat and her kittens were all neutered.
Her five kittens have been sleeping together in their same cat house.
On beautiful days, five kittens gather for hunting.
There is a big yard and many trees for them to climb.
At times, they watch our Koi ponds
Near waterfalls, they can see their reflections in water.

They had a whole year to play hide and seek and hunt.
As they grow older, their hunting skills have much improved.
With successful hunting, they returned with their dangling prizes.
They were happy to show their trophies, to pay for their keeps.

Every day, from inside looking out
Ashes and Noel may dream of outside life of freedom.
But, from outside looking in
Six cats dream of a day that they can stay in the house.

NHIEN NGUYEN MD
1/7/2017

Above is translation poem of NHIEN NGUYEN MD:

ANNVILLE PARADISE, NƠI THẦN TIÊN CHO MÈO

Nhà tôi có tám con mèo
Trong nhà, Ashes Noel bạn vàng
Chúng chơi, chạy nhảy cùng nhau
Khi thì vật lộn, chạy đua rần rần
Khi thì, chúng chỉ nhìn nhau
Trên giường hai góc, mơ màng vẫy đuôi.
Tranh nhau vị trí trên chòi
Tầng cao thoải mái, nhìn trời xa cao.

Chúng tôi chẳng định nuôi mèo
Số trời đưa đẩy hai mèo tới đây.
Ashes đói khát, xin ăn
Con tôi thấy tội, cho ăn cho nằm.

Noel thì tới năm sau
Lạnh trời, đói bụng, hai mèo thương nhau.
Noel không tới mấy ngày
Ashes buồn nhớ, chẳng màng uống ăn.
Từ ngày cho nó vào nhà
Noel ngoan ngoãn rất là dễ thương.

Trời Đông lạnh lẽo vô cùng
Shadow vừa đói, lạnh run, van nài.
Chúng tôi nuôi tạm mùa này
Đến khi Xuân tới, bớt dần phần ăn.

Ai ngờ đến giữa Xuân sau
Shadow thành mẹ: một đàn năm con.
Thôi đành nuôi mẹ cùng con
Mẹ cần đủ sữa thì con lớn đều.
Ngày con bỏ sữa, mẹ đi
Để con ở lại Annville Địa Đàng.

Tháng sau, vì đói cần ăn
Shadow trở lại xin ăn mỗi ngày.
Ăn xong, mèo mẹ đi ngay
Đất này con ở, mẹ cần ăn thôi.
Bây giờ, năm rưỡi qua rồi
Sự đời vẫn thế, ăn rồi mẹ đi.

Mẹ, con bị thiến cả rồi.
Năm con thì ngủ chung chuồng với nhau.
Đẹp trời, mèo rủ nhau săn
Sân nhà đất rộng, cây cao mèo trèo
Đôi khi mèo ngắm hồ Koi
Bên dòng nước chảy, mèo soi bóng mình.

Cả năm, mèo tập bắt rình
Mèo càng thêm tuổi, càng tinh tuổi nghề.
Mèo săn, thắng lợi mang về
Mèo vui khoe chủ, trả tiền ăn nuôi.

Mỗi ngày trong cửa nhìn trời
Noel, Ashes mơ đời ngoài kia
Nhưng từ ngoài cửa nhìn vào
Sáu mèo thì lại mơ ngày trong kia.

NHIEN NGUYEN MD
1/7/2017