The Frenetic Lives of Kittens, Distilled into Poetry

Miss Cuddlywumps reviews I Knead My Mommy by Francesco Marciuliano

You may think a kitten is just so much mindless, fluffy cuteness, but I am here to tell you that kittens are thinking creatures, and you will be amazed at how profoundly they express their thoughts in the new poetry collection I Knead My Mommy.

This slim volume, a follow-up to the classic I Could Pee on This, was of course not written by actual kittens, because actual kittens cannot spell (although they are fascinated by computers and typing, as we see in the poem “While You’re Typing”). It was instead written by one Francesco Marciuliano, who we suspect has spent too much time playing with string, because he so often writes lines that seem to be in the true language of kitten.

Regardless of which species penned these verses, we think reading them will bring a smile to your face. They are full of frenetic activity, curiosity, and humorous poignancy (as well as the true poignancy of “Not Goodbye,” which made She of Little Talent shed a tear, remembering some old hurts). They are a reminder that kittens do the darndest things.

Our favorites, in no particular order, are “Forfeit,” in which a kitten explains just how those little balls of fur take over human lives (the process is so easy, even a kitten could do it!); “And Then You Said ‘No’,” in which a kitten ponders what the word no could possibly mean (it’s not what you think); and “I Will Save You,” about a valiant and persistent kitten trying to save his or her person from being all alone at night (old SoLT has suffered through many a night with just such a valiant feline).

I Knead My Mommy is a book we will return to again and again whenever we need a smile. I give it a very happy