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Esther’s Tomcat Lyrics by Ted Hughes

A Ted Hughes Bestiary

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Daylong this tomcat lies stretched flat
As an old rough mat, no mouth and no eyes.
Continual wars and wives are what
Have tattered his ears and battered his head.
Like a bundle of old rope and iron
Sleeps till blue dusk. Then reappear
His eyes, green as ringstones: he yawns wide red,
Fangs fine as a lady's needle and bright.
A tomcat sprang at a mounted knight,
Locked round his neck like a trap of hooks
While the knight rode fighting its clawing and bite.
After hundreds of years the stain's there
On the stone where he fell, dead of the tom:
That was at Barnborough. The tomcat still
Grallochs odd dogs on the quiet,
Will take the head clean off your simple pullet.
Is unkillable. From the dog's fury,
From gunshot fired point-blank he brings
His skin whole, and whole
From owlish moons of bekittenings
Among ashcans. He leaps and lightly
Walks upon sleep, his mind on the moon
Nightly over the round world of men
Over the roofs go his eyes and outcry.
Credits
Ted Hughes

Ted Hughes

About “Esther’s Tomcat” by Ted Hughes

Read the complete lyrics to "Esther’s Tomcat" by Ted Hughes from the album "A Ted Hughes Bestiary". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music.

"Esther’s Tomcat" is performed by Ted Hughes. from the album "A Ted Hughes Bestiary" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Esther’s Tomcat", explore more songs by Ted Hughes using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Esther’s Tomcat" is credited to Ted Hughes. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Esther’s Tomcat" appears on "A Ted Hughes Bestiary".

Visit the Ted Hughes artist page at /artist/ted-hughes for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.