Out of the Blue, Into the Black: A Song for Dylan Gangale: Paperball

02 February 2011

A Song for Dylan Gangale: Paperball

A game that Dylan developed on his own was "tag." When he thought that we wouldn't be expecting it, often when one of us was walking past him or away from him, he would bolt from a position where he was not easily observable and tag our feet, then run for cover. Meleline and I would tag him back when we could. Sometimes Dylan would employ this hit-and-run guerrilla tactic against Mousefinger.

The manufacturing and marketing of cat toys has to be one of the great scams of all time, in the same vein as the infamous pet rock. Cats don't need fancy store-bought toys; they have the imagination to create their own toys out of commonplace objects.

A sheet's been jammed in the machine
She has to work to wrest it free
She crumples and throws it to the floor
It has no use anymore

He, ever watchful for some prey
Has missed no occasion to play
He springs across the room with his all
And he strikes at Paperball

He will wrestle it to the floor
He will bite, he will kick, and even more

He's underfoot whilst she prepares
The evening's culinary fare
But just roll a paper down the hall
And he'll strike at Paperball