Data’s poem to his feline companion, a ginger tabby called Spot, is one of the most hilarious moments on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Though his USS Enterprise colleagues are less than impressed with the recital, it is surely a masterpiece of android poetry. Eat your heart out, ChatGPT!
Felis catus is your
taxonomic nomenclature,
An endothermic quadruped,
carnivorous by nature;
Your visual, olfactory,
and auditory senses
Contribute to your hunting skills
and natural defenses.
I find myself intrigued
by your subvocal oscillations,
A singular development
of cat communications
That obviates your basic
hedonistic predilection
For a rhythmic stroking of your fur
to demonstrate affection.
A tail is quite essential
for your acrobatic talents;
You would not be so agile
if you lacked its counterbalance.
And when not being utilised
to aid in locomotion,
It often serves to illustrate
the state of your emotion.
O Spot, the complex levels
of behavior you display
Connote a fairly well-developed
cognitive array.
And though you are not sentient, Spot,
and do not comprehend,
I nonetheless consider you
a true and valued friend.
yggdrasille.com 