Hate That Cat

This section covers Jack’s poems and notes between March 26 and June 5. Jack writes that Skitter McKitter ran away, calling it a tragedy regardless of what Uncle Bill would say about it. He marvels at how much he loves this cat, especially after hating cats, and after such a short amount of time. His mother signs the word cat and then taps her heart. Almost a week later, Skitter is still missing, and their house feels empty. They’ve put out milk, but the only cat who drinks it is the hated black cat from the bus stop. Jack gets another postcard from Walter Dean Myers, telling him that Myers’s cat has died. That cat was old and lived a long time, but Myers still misses him. Jack addresses a poem to Skitter, asking why the cat left home. Almost 10 days later, Jack writes that Skitter has returned. He writes another verse inspired by Williams: “So much depends upon / a black kitten / mewing outside” the door (107). The fat black cat, the mean one, begins to make noise to get someone’s attention, and beside it lies Skitter, injured and quietly mewing.