BRIEF THOUGHTS ON CATS GROWING ON TREES

BRIEF THOUGHTS ON CATS GROWING ON TREES

- by Miroslav Holub [1923-1998]

In the days when
Moles still held their general meetings
and were able to see better, it happened
that they wished to know what existed
above.

And they elected
a commission to investigate.

The commission
delegated a sharp-sighted, quick-footed
mole. Leaving his bit of mother-earth
he sighted a tree and a bird sitting on it.

And so a theory was formulated that up there
birds grew on trees. But
some moles though it
too simple. And they selected another mole
to find out whether birds grow on trees.

It was evening hour and cats
miaowed in the trees. Miaowing cats
grow on trees, reported the second mole.
And so originated an alternative theory
about cats.

The conflicting theories
disturbed the sleep
of a neurotic old member of the commission.
He crept out to have a look himself.
It was night and pitch dark.

Both wrong, announced the venerable mole.
Birds and cats are optical illusions caused
by the refraction of light. In reality, above
is the same as below, only the earth is thinner and
the upper roots of the trees whisper something,
but only a little.

And there the matter rested.

Since then moles have remained underground,
do not appoint commissions nor
assume the existence of cats,

and if they do, then only a little.

* * *

- Miroslav Holub [1923-1998] , Czech scientist, poet and immunologist,
Translated from the Czech by Ian and Jarmila Milner