El Gatiao Viejo

Crouched down by a patch of grass
That made the wind howl like crazy
Giving a kick to the frozen drizzle
And frozen to the bone from the cold
I found that harsh June evening
The poor old tomcat

They had tossed him out there to die
Skinny, weak, already tired and hungry
On a path that was nothing but mud
Where he wouldn’t find even a dry blade of grass
And what’s worse, all alone
Facing the harshness of the merciless winter

When I crossed paths with him, his sad eyes
Dimmed by time
Looked at me in a nearly human way
And a whinny that was almost a plea
Slipped out between his crooked teeth
And pierced my chest like a thorn

So I slowly approached him
Spoke to him like you would to a buddy
Patted his ribs
That were almost showing through his skin
And ended up taking him home
Tying a rope around his neck

Now I have him in the barn at the ranch
Sharing corn with my bluebird
Wrapped up and sleeping on a bed of grass
Like he’s some fancy stallion
And even though he’s old, the poor guy
I think he’ll make it through this winter

With his age, he won’t be of any use to me
Even if he fattens up and gets healthy in good time
But that doesn’t matter to me at all
'Cause I didn’t bring him home for profit
And I’m more than satisfied with the
Way he looks at me
When I pet him.