My Lucky Cat
My lucky cat waves at me through the day.
Supposed to bring in wealth, it brings in none.
You’d think that I would know the score by now.
I’ve been through many so-called lucky charms.
The Lincoln Imp brought me so much ill luck
eventually I left it on a bench.
Its devilish smirk could lure some other fool.
Why do I bother? Hard to analyse.
Like those who pray and keep their powder dry,
when keeping powder dry might be enough…
Logic might say talent and work’s enough,
And yet there is another element.
X is successful, Y a never-was.
Z has some luck but loses it again.
Reality shows that there’s something else.
Not what you know but who you know some say.
Yet, even that, simplifies things too much.
These pixies, lucky cats, MIGHT have a role,
might give an edge where work and talent fail.
Fiona Pitt-Kethley is the author of more than 20 books of prose or poetry published by Chatto, Abacus, Salt and others. She lives in Spain. Her next book to be published is non-fiction, Washing Amethysts in the Bidet.