The Magic Cat (Object of Excellence Winner)

The feline stands as proud as a lion.
It is as blue as the eyes of a dark panther.
Its journey comes across the valley of the kings.
Its whiskers white as a dwarf star.
Even if its head is like the desert,
Its body becomes the waves.
Its gemstone is hard and heavy,
Though it can be lifted with the greatest of ease.
Its silence is the call of the wind,
And its presence is the breeze.

The talisman is the only thing we have,
Even though we have a lot.
It didn’t cost much,but its value to us is far more.
It is an Egyptian symbol,
The last she could find.
My mother travelled the world,
Before she met my father.
She got a monk to carry it across the Egyptian desert.
And now she has given it to me.

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This poem was awarded First Place for Poetry Object 2012

'The magic cat', by Andre, takes care at every detail: the lines are thoughtfully composed and arranged; the language is surprising and exact; the images are striking. The poem begins with a description and ends with a beautifully entwined history of the object's embeddedness in places, times, and travels. Andre's little cat is a link between a mother, a desert, and a memory - and the poem is a documentary of its meaning."

~ Astrid Lorange, Judge, Poetry Object 2012