{"id":21369,"date":"2025-11-25T09:17:39","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T15:17:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/?p=21369"},"modified":"2025-11-30T20:34:31","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T02:34:31","slug":"sweeney-among-the-alley-cats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/sweeney-among-the-alley-cats\/","title":{"rendered":"Sweeney Among the Alley Cats"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-social-links is-content-justification-right is-layout-flex wp-container-core-social-links-is-layout-765c4724 wp-block-social-links-is-layout-flex\"><li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-facebook  wp-block-social-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=61556140010887\" class=\"wp-block-social-link-anchor\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M12 2C6.5 2 2 6.5 2 12c0 5 3.7 9.1 8.4 9.9v-7H7.9V12h2.5V9.8c0-2.5 1.5-3.9 3.8-3.9 1.1 0 2.2.2 2.2.2v2.5h-1.3c-1.2 0-1.6.8-1.6 1.6V12h2.8l-.4 2.9h-2.3v7C18.3 21.1 22 17 22 12c0-5.5-4.5-10-10-10z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n<li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-instagram  wp-block-social-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/boudin_mcneese\/\" class=\"wp-block-social-link-anchor\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M12,4.622c2.403,0,2.688,0.009,3.637,0.052c0.877,0.04,1.354,0.187,1.671,0.31c0.42,0.163,0.72,0.358,1.035,0.673 c0.315,0.315,0.51,0.615,0.673,1.035c0.123,0.317,0.27,0.794,0.31,1.671c0.043,0.949,0.052,1.234,0.052,3.637 s-0.009,2.688-0.052,3.637c-0.04,0.877-0.187,1.354-0.31,1.671c-0.163,0.42-0.358,0.72-0.673,1.035 c-0.315,0.315-0.615,0.51-1.035,0.673c-0.317,0.123-0.794,0.27-1.671,0.31c-0.949,0.043-1.233,0.052-3.637,0.052 s-2.688-0.009-3.637-0.052c-0.877-0.04-1.354-0.187-1.671-0.31c-0.42-0.163-0.72-0.358-1.035-0.673 c-0.315-0.315-0.51-0.615-0.673-1.035c-0.123-0.317-0.27-0.794-0.31-1.671C4.631,14.688,4.622,14.403,4.622,12 s0.009-2.688,0.052-3.637c0.04-0.877,0.187-1.354,0.31-1.671c0.163-0.42,0.358-0.72,0.673-1.035 c0.315-0.315,0.615-0.51,1.035-0.673c0.317-0.123,0.794-0.27,1.671-0.31C9.312,4.631,9.597,4.622,12,4.622 M12,3 C9.556,3,9.249,3.01,8.289,3.054C7.331,3.098,6.677,3.25,6.105,3.472C5.513,3.702,5.011,4.01,4.511,4.511 c-0.5,0.5-0.808,1.002-1.038,1.594C3.25,6.677,3.098,7.331,3.054,8.289C3.01,9.249,3,9.556,3,12c0,2.444,0.01,2.751,0.054,3.711 c0.044,0.958,0.196,1.612,0.418,2.185c0.23,0.592,0.538,1.094,1.038,1.594c0.5,0.5,1.002,0.808,1.594,1.038 c0.572,0.222,1.227,0.375,2.185,0.418C9.249,20.99,9.556,21,12,21s2.751-0.01,3.711-0.054c0.958-0.044,1.612-0.196,2.185-0.418 c0.592-0.23,1.094-0.538,1.594-1.038c0.5-0.5,0.808-1.002,1.038-1.594c0.222-0.572,0.375-1.227,0.418-2.185 C20.99,14.751,21,14.444,21,12s-0.01-2.751-0.054-3.711c-0.044-0.958-0.196-1.612-0.418-2.185c-0.23-0.592-0.538-1.094-1.038-1.594 c-0.5-0.5-1.002-0.808-1.594-1.038c-0.572-0.222-1.227-0.375-2.185-0.418C14.751,3.01,14.444,3,12,3L12,3z M12,7.378 c-2.552,0-4.622,2.069-4.622,4.622S9.448,16.622,12,16.622s4.622-2.069,4.622-4.622S14.552,7.378,12,7.378z M12,15 c-1.657,0-3-1.343-3-3s1.343-3,3-3s3,1.343,3,3S13.657,15,12,15z M16.804,6.116c-0.596,0-1.08,0.484-1.08,1.08 s0.484,1.08,1.08,1.08c0.596,0,1.08-0.484,1.08-1.08S17.401,6.116,16.804,6.116z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">Instagram<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Sweeney Among the Alley Cats<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>James Enelow<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">__________<br>\u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03b5\u1f36\u03c7\u03bf\u03bd \u03c4\u03c1\u03af\u03c7\u03b1\u03c2 \u1f61\u03c2 \u03c4\u03c1\u03af\u03c7\u03b1\u03c2 \u03b3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9\u03ba\u1ff6\u03bd, \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03bf\u1f31 \u1f41\u03b4\u03cc\u03bd\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2 \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u1f61\u03c2 \u03bb\u03b5\u03cc\u03bd\u03c4\u03c9\u03bd \u1f26\u03c3\u03b1\u03bd.<br><strong><em>Rev. IX:8<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Tonight old Sweeney sits amazed<br>at sex and food he cannot taste.<br>As king of cats he starts his watch<br>to judge the thin and meekly chaste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The stars out back have shown their heads.<br>An easy scent floats past the wall.<br>As sweeney sits approaching sleep,<br>the nubile cats begin their call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">They slip from underneath the slats<br>and circle in on Sweeney\u2019s feet.<br>His neighbor Ms. Moriavich<br>tries on a dress that\u2019s marked petite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">And from the the kitchen stove arrayed<br>with jelly, marmalade and jam<br>the chef the bastes his evening meal,<br>a vast virginia honeyed ham.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Its scent some marker in this fog,<br>sets Sweeney reeling for a fall.<br>He moves his hand from cat to cat<br>to grace and bless and chide them all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Two landings up the Montez girls<br>Let down their hair so it can dry.<br>They roll their fishnet stockings up.<br>They tease their hair and Sweeney sighs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">They pull the shades to close their show.<br>Framing a sexy silhouette,<br>their bite keeps Sweeney half-awake.<br><em>He dreams of cats he&#8217;d like to pet.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">As dawn approaches on the hill,<br>he starts to count and number cars,<br>to dream of steak and shepherd&#8217;s pie,<br>of olives, schnapps and fine cigars,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">He\u2019ll wait until the honored sun<br>lifts up its round, majestic head<br>to tuck old Sweeney into sleep<br>to rest among the drowsy dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">And just when night gives in to day,<br>the cats adjust their angered cry,<br>which drifts along the wooden gate,<br>to snatch the stars from Sweeney\u2019s sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">__________<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>James Enelow<\/strong>\u00a0is a poet, essay writer and blogger and he teaches English at Tarrant County College in Ft. Worth. \u00a0\u00a0He promotes the use of science fiction and film imagery in his classes. \u00a0He is a currently published writer and has several blogs, including \u201c<strong>The Center and The Center of Me<\/strong>,\u201d \u00a0&#8220;<strong>Big Shots in English,<\/strong>&#8221; \u201c<strong>A Serious Wakeup Call<\/strong>\u201d and &#8220;<strong>Juxtaposition Collision.<\/strong>&#8221; Several of his poems have appeared in\u00a0<em>River King Poetry Supplement<\/em>,\u00a0<em>The New Review, The Review, Haikuniverse, Aiken Standard Magazine, Texas Bards Anthology 2025<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em>The Southern Poetry Anthology.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>__________<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"438\" height=\"211\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/boudin-logo-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/boudin-logo-1.jpg 438w, https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/boudin-logo-1-300x145.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 438px) 100vw, 438px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-large-font-size\">&lt;&lt; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/solomon-and-the-cheese-arm\/\">Back<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/only-lines-from-lord-byron-thomas-lux-and-the-script-for-the-princess-bride-or-ive-hired-you-to-help-me-start-a-war-only-lines-from-pablo-neruda-diane-diprima-and-script-for-x-files\/\">Next<\/a> &gt;&gt;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">To learn more about submitting your work to <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/boudin-submissions\/\">Boudin<\/a><\/em> or applying to McNeese State University&#8217;s Creative Writing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/mfa-application-submissions\/\">MFA program<\/a>, please visit Submissions for details.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sweeney Among the Alley Cats James Enelow __________\u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03b5\u1f36\u03c7\u03bf\u03bd \u03c4\u03c1\u03af\u03c7\u03b1\u03c2 \u1f61\u03c2 \u03c4\u03c1\u03af\u03c7\u03b1\u03c2 \u03b3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9\u03ba\u1ff6\u03bd, \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03bf\u1f31 \u1f41\u03b4\u03cc\u03bd\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2 \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u1f61\u03c2 \u03bb\u03b5\u03cc\u03bd\u03c4\u03c9\u03bd \u1f26\u03c3\u03b1\u03bd.Rev. IX:8 Tonight old Sweeney sits amazedat sex and food he cannot taste.As king of cats he starts his watchto judge the thin and meekly chaste. The stars out back have shown their heads.An easy scent&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[248],"tags":[75,145,18],"class_list":["post-21369","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-when-in-rome-nov-25","tag-boudin","tag-poetry-2","tag-poetry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21369","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21369"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21369\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21592,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21369\/revisions\/21592"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21369"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21369"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}