Happiness in Dark Times – Here’s Wise Cat Bodie’s Advice on Life to Inspire for the ACE Poetry Contest

By Bodie, Oakland International High School’s ACE Poetry Contest Mascot, and Jamilah, OIHS’s Poetry Ambassador

I’m Wise Cat Bodie.

Cats are wise. That’s why we make great poets.

J.J. is wise. That’s why she makes a great Poetry Ambassador for Oakland International High School (OIHS.)

Together we’ve written this poem to inspire our OIHS poetry students to “give your energy to what matters now and move forward.” Oh, and hopefully inspire them to learn about, love and write poetry. That combination is purrfect.

A Wise Cat “Bodie”

Hey, I’m Bodie.  I’m a cat,

Living my normal life with my master.

There are things you’d love to hear about me and my master.

Opening my eyes for a new day with my old soul.

When I walk into the room, all I can see is my old space.

Goals are gold to me.

Seeing my master speaking to a cat is weird to me.

Meow, meow, meow is my word.

Humans live with millions of words.

Creatures like us live with one word.

Loving you is as beautiful as the ocean view.

Sometimes I lied and said I was busy. I was busy but not in the way most people understand.

I was taking deeper breaths. I was busy silencing irrational thoughts.

I was busy calming a racing heart. I was busy telling myself I am okay.

Sometimes this is my busy and I will not apologize for it.

Someone once told me not to bite off more than I chew.

I said I’d rather choke on greatness than nibble on mediocrity.

Let me tell you something about life. Your new life is going to cost you your old one.

It is going to cost you your comfort zone and your sense of direction.

It is going to cost you relationships and friends.

It is going to cost you being liked and understood.

It does not matter.

The people who are meant for you are going to meet you on the other side.

Instead of being liked, you’re going to be loved.

You’re going to build a new comfort zone around the things that actually move you forward.

Instead of being understood, you’re going to be seen.

Also, what happened, has happened.

You can’t change that.

Give your energy to what matters now and move forward.

Wise is something unique and I’m a wise cat giving you my experience.

Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light as the sun when it comes out for the new day.