Buddha’s Cat: Poems

If there’s ever been a beloved animal in your life, this is the book for you.

Humans have lived with canines and felines for thousands of years. In Buddha’s Cat, poet Wayne Lee explores that relationship, not just with our domesticated companions, but also with wolves, foxes, bobcats, coyotes, panthers and other wild species. These poems range from tender to tragic, funny to ferocious. They include paeans to beloved pets, elegies for victims of cruelty and encroachment, and four-legged metaphors for human behavior. You’ll love Prana and George, laugh at Beach Dog and Caliban, grieve for Rusty and Morgan, and marvel at Logo and Heyoka. Buddha’s Cat will entertain, instruct and help you connect in new ways with the “wild heart” beating within your savage breast.
“Buddha’s Cat is the best of bestiaries, an inspiring collection of cats, dogs and their feral counterparts. Lee treats them all with tenderness, affection and occasional humor. There is loss here, but also gratitude for the lives of animals and humans alike. If there’s ever been a beloved animal in your life, this is the book for you.” —Bruce Parker, author of Ramadan in Summer

“Wayne Lee’s latest book is not a cuddly collection. It is fierce. You will learn from it to see animals in new ways. And perchance find yourself stepping with a more measured gait.” —John Roche, author of Tubbables, Co-director of Jules’ Poetry Playhouse

“Buddha’s Cat is a delight to read. It is obvious in reading these charming poems that Lee has taken the teachings of Buddha to heart. He takes the love of animals and returns it ten-fold. These poems are a rare treat in which to find enjoyment in life.” —Lenora Rain-Lee Good, author-poet of The Bride’s Gate and Other Assorted Writings

“Whether it is whimsical, domestic portraits or harsh, desert landscapes, Wayne Lee takes you through an expansive gallery of beautifully rendered poems in Buddha’s Cat. Be prepared to be astounded by these most heartfelt portrayals of the animal world.” —Brenardo, author of Bridge Over Aggravated Troubles

Writer, editor and teacher Wayne Lee (wayneleepoet.com) lives in Santa Fe, NM. Lee’s poems have appeared in Tupelo Press, Slipstream, The New Guard, The Lowestoft Chronicle, Writer’s Digest and many other journals and anthologies. He was awarded the 2012 Fischer Prize and the 2012 SICA Poems for Peace Award, and hehas been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and three Best of the Net Awards. His collection The Underside of Light was a finalist for the 2014 New Mexico/Arizona Book Award. His chapbook Buddha’s Cat was published by Whistle Lake Press in May 2024, his memoir Service Husband: A Caregiver’s Journey Through Disability, Suicide and Recovery is forthcoming from Mercury Heartlink in 2024 and his collection Dining on Salt: Four Seasons of Septets is forthcoming from Cornerstone Press in 2025. Lee is the founder and host of the online Tuesday Poetry Practice community.