In the city, the cat walks its first life,

a dupe wandering through alleyways,

seeking warmth and food from strangers.

One night, it follows the scent of fish,

only to find itself locked in a cold cellar,

a victim of its own curiosity.

In its second life, it becomes the scapegoat,

taking the blame for spilled milk and broken vases,

while others watch from the shadows.

Chased out of the house with a broom,

it learns the harsh lesson of misplaced guilt.

The third life sees the fall guy,

brushed aside in the bustle of the market,

bearing the consequences of unseen hands.

A pickpocket’s scapegoat, it’s caught in a net,

unwittingly framed for stolen goods.

Fourth, it serves as the lackey,

obediently following, fetching, and carrying,

its own desires pushed to the background.

Fetching trinkets for an indifferent master,

it finds itself ignored, a mere tool in human hands.

The underling in its fifth life,

silently watching, wordlessly waiting,

beneath the towering structures of power.

Living in the shadows of tall buildings,

it witnesses the world’s hustle, unseen and unheard.

Sixth, it finds itself the pigeon,

caught in the snare of deceitful charms,

a victim of clever schemes and plots.

Lured by the promise of a feast,

it ends up tangled in the wires of a trap.


The mark appears in the seventh life,

targeted by cunning eyes and whispered words,

a pawn in games of greed and ambition.

Promised a treasure hidden in a garden,

it digs in vain, used and discarded by sly manipulators.

Eighth, the stooge emerges, unwittingly

playing roles in others' designs,

its own path twisted and turned by invisible strings.

Led to a deserted alley by a deceiver, it finds itself cornered,

an unwitting participant in a setup.

Ninth, the patsy stands, bearing

the weight of accusations and misdeeds.

Cornered in a dark alley by unfriendly eyes,

it faces the harshest of trials.

Bruised and weary, it hears the jeers,

the cruel laughter echoing in the narrow passage.

But then, with a knowing glint in its eye,

the cat remembers the lessons of its past lives.

Drawing upon a reservoir of untapped strength,

it springs forward, claws unsheathed,

fighting back against the shadows that once oppressed it.

In this final act of defiance, it sheds its skin,

revealing a lion within - -  a powerful transformation,

reclaiming its destiny. No longer a victim of circumstance,

it emerges, striding confidently into the light,

embracing its newfound sovereignty.