what if cats suddenly acquired hats -

would they still insist on sitting on mats?

if cats had hats they could brave the storm,

instead of sitting on mats to keep warm

but maybe its something else about mats

that holds such ridiculous appeal to cats -

perhaps its a place to call their own,

a sort of flat but comfy throne,

or maybe its just because it rhymes?

that's the cynic in me, that pops up at times

but i cant deny that its certainly true

i read it in a book once, when i was two,

and i've never had reason to disbelieve

those stories about Jesus, and Adam and Eve

so i trust that book that told me that cats

are inseparable from those traditional mats

and even when the human race is gone

and all that's left is cats and prawns,

the cats on the land and the shrimp in the sea

and peace on earth and dog flavoured tea,

i'm sure that the cats who rule the world

at the end of a day will stretch and unfurl

the special mat, that antique bed

and heave a sigh and lay down their heads

and dream of all those days gone by

when those dumb humans ruled land and sky

and laugh to themselves at how stupid it was