James Valvis

Tom’s Final Plan


Fifty years he’s chased Jerry
   and hasn’t caught him.
He isn’t getting any younger
   and Jerry isn’t getting any slower.
So he formulates a final plan.
   No longer will be play dumb cat
to Jerry’s blazing, heroic mouse.
   Instead he’ll spend his days
relaxing by the fire, curled up
   on his kitty pillow.  And wait.
It doesn’t take a year before Jerry,
   fat from unlimited cheese,
can no longer run without wobbling.
   The plan has worked, doing less
had been the solution all along.
   His hour of triumph has come!
So Tom moves in for the kill,
   but he’s put on weight himself.
He can hardly catch his breath,
   feels his chest constricting,
and when Jerry gets stuck
   waddling into his mouse hole,
his round bottom wedged tight,
   Tom dies suddenly, laughing.