When the pandemic hit

I tried to make the best of it

I pulled out a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle

And the cat waltzed over and gave me a nuzzle

‘How cute,’ I thought, ‘she wants to join in’

But this was the start of a war I couldn’t win

She lay beside me, supposedly dreaming

But, deep down, was secretly scheming

She let me complete the border with alacrity

To lure me into a false sense of security

Then when I went to get a cup of tea

She stole a piece away from me

I looked everywhere, low and high

But never found that piece of sky

Still, I didn’t lose heart

But this was only the start

She sat in the centre and looked at me

As I protested pathetically

And then, when I turned my back

She launched her attack

Scattering the pieces with her toes

Like so many puny foes

I explained to her that this was rude

But she stalked off to eat some food

I repaired the damage and schemed

How to protect the puzzle from the fiend

For I’m a human, and a smart one at that

I should be able to outwit a cat

I covered the puzzle with a blanket, decorated with chooks

And weighted it down with piles of books

Then I went, victorious, off to sleep

And during the night, heard not a peep

But in the morning’s harsh light

I woke to a chilling sight

Books and pieces thrown asunder

Leaving me, speechless, to wonder

How I was ever so naïve

As to actually believe

That it is I, who lays down the law

When the cat clearly rules with an iron paw

So I packed the puzzle away beneath the bed

And crocheted her some toy mice instead.