EVERYONE IN THE APPARTMENT COMPLEX I LIVE IN KNEW HOW UGLY WAS.
UGLY WAS THE RESIDENT TOMCAT. UGLY LOVED THREE THINGS IN THIS WORLD:
FIGHTING,EATING GARBAGE AND SHALL I SAY,LOVING.
THESE THREE THINGS, TOGETHER WITH A LIFE SPENT OUTSIDE,
HAD TAKEN THEIR TOLL ON UGLY.
TO START WITH, HE HAD ONLY ONE EYE,
AND WHERE THE OTHER SHOULD HAVE BEEN,
WAS A GAPPING HOLE. HE ALSO WAS MISSING HIS EAR ON THE SAME SIDE.
HIS LEFT FOOT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN BADLY BROKEN AT ONE TIME,
AND HAD HEALED AT AN UNNATURAL ANGLE,
MAKIN HIM LOOK LIKE HE WAS TURNING THE CORNER.
HIS TAIL HAD LONG BEEN LOST, LEAVING ONLY THE SMALLEST STUB WHICH
HE WOULD CONSTANTLY JERK AND TWITCH.
UGLY WOULD HAVE BEEN A DARK GRAY, STRIPPED TABBY EXCEPT
FOR THE SORES COVERING HIS HEAD AND NECK.
EVEN HIS SHOULDERS WERE COVERED WITH THICK YELLOWING SCABS.
EVERYTIME SOMEONE SAW UGLY, THEREWAS THE SAME REACTION
...THAT`S ONE UGLY CAT !
ALL THE CHILDREN WERE WARNED NOT TO TOUCH HIM,THE ADULTS THREW ROCKS AT HIM,
HOSED HIM DOWN,
SQUIRTED HIM WHEN HE TRIED TO COME
IN THEIR HOMES,
OR SHUT HIS PAWS IN THE DOOR WHEN HE WOOULD NOT LEAVE
UGLY ALWAYS HAD THE SAME REACTION.
IF U TURNED THE HOSE ON HIM,
HE WOULD STAND THERE, GETTING SOAKED
UNTIL U GAVE UP AND QUIT.
IF YOU THREW THINGS AT HIM,
HE WOULD CURL HIS LANKY BODY AROUND YOUR FEET IN FORGIVENESS.
WHENEVER HE SPIED CHILDREN,
HE WOULD COME RUNNING, MEOWING
FRANTICALLY, BUMPING HIS HEAD AGAINST THEIR HANDS,
BEGGING FOR THEIR LOVE.
IF YOU EVER PICKED HIM UP,
HE WOULD IMMEDIATELY BEGIN SUCKLING ON YOUR SHIRT,
EARRINGS, WHATEVER HE COULD FIND.
ONE DAY UGLY TRIED TO BE FRIENDLY TO THE NEIGHBOUR`S HUSKIES.
THEY DID NOT RESPOND KINDLY, AND UGLY WAS BADLY MAULED.
FROM MY APPARTMENT I COULD HEAR HIS SCREAM,
AND I RUSHED TO HIS AID.
BY THE TIME I GOT TO HIM,
IT WAS APPARENT THAT UGLY`S SAD LIFE WAS ALMOST AT AN END.
UGLY LAY IN A WET PUDDLE, HIS BACK LEGS AND LOWER BACK
TWISTED GROSSLY OUT OF SHAPE,
A GAPING TEAR IN THE
WHITE STRIPE OF FUR THAT RAN DOWN HIS FRONT.
AS I PICKED HIM UP AND TRIED TO CARRY HIM HOME,
I COULD HEAR HIM
WHEEZING AND GASPING AND I COULD FEEL HIM STRUGGLING.
IT MUST BE HURTING HIM TERRIBLY, I THOUGHT.
THEN I FELT A FAMILIAR TUGGING SUCKING SENSATION ON MY EAR.
UGLY, IN SO MUCH PAIN AND SUFFERING,
OBVIOUSLY DYING, WAS TRYING TO SUCKLE MY EARS.
I PULLED HIM CLOSER TO ME,
AND HE BUMPED THE PALM OF MY HAND WITH HIS HEAD
THEN HE TURNED HIS ONE GOLDEN EYE TOWARDS ME, AND I
COULD HEAR THE DISTINCT SOUND OFF PURRING.
EVEN IN THE GREATEST PAIN, THAT UGLY, BATTLE-SCARRED CAT
WAS ASKING ONLY FOR A LITTLE AFFECTION,
PERHAPS SOME COMPASSION.
AT THAT MOMENT, I THOUGHT UGLY WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL,LOVING CREATURE
I HAD EVER SEEN.
NEVER ONCE DID HE TRY TO BITE OR SCRATCH ME,
TRY TO GET AWAY FROM ME,
OR STRUGGLE IN ANY WAY.
UGLY JUST LOOKED UP AT ME COMPLETELY TRUSTING IN ME TO RELIEVE HIS PAIN.
UGLY DIED IN MY ARMS BEFORE I COULD GET INSIDE,
BUT I SAT AND HELD HIM FOR A LONG TIME AFTERWARDS,
THINKING ABOUT HOW ONE SCARRED,
DEFORMED LITTLE STRAY COULD ALTER
MY OPINION ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE TRUE PURENESS OF SPIRIT,
TO LOVE TOTALLY AND TRULY.
UGLY TAUGHT ME MORE ABOUT GIVING AND COMPASSION
THAN A THOUSAND BOOKS, LEACTURES OR TALK SHOW SPECIALS
EVER COULD AND FOR THAT I WILL ALWAYS BE THANKFUL.
HE HAD BEEN SCARRED ON THE OUTSIDE,
BUT I WAS SCARRED ON THE INSIDE,
AND IT WAS TIME FOR ME TO MOVE ON
AND LEARN TO LOVE TRULY AND DEEPLY,
TO GIVE MY TOTAL TO THOSE I CARED FOR.
MANY PEOPLE WANT TO BE RICHER,
MORE SUCCESSFUL, WELL-LIKED, OR BEAUTIFUL.
BUT FOR ME I WILL ALWAYS TRY TO BE UGLY.
Author Unknown
