The First Born Were Ocelots

] too was a bridegroom with
pinstripes and swallow tails
marrying a girl effulgent
from top to toe with love;
we combined for a family
lively with young ocelots.

Convivially we’d renege
on conformity, when upon
an Irish lawn we'd raise
a House of Orange flag,
or danced with complaisance
to fervent Xavier Cugat.

On some days death came
to neighbors in polocoats
or with tic, solving nothing;
but we turned our music low
and sat with the ocelots
to point out a lesson.

We never planned ours might
accrue into high history
with exaltations of wars
and small sobs of peace,
by a Pulitzer novelist
lacing life with fame.

But with heads barely turned
and minds featuring deeds
of home-day consumption
we gave birth to tamer cats,
each more tractable than
our first born ocelots.