Was there a kitten
For "Mary" to hold
When days were gray
And nights were cold

Was there a kitten
In "Mary's" arms
That felt the comforts
Of her charms

Was there a kitten
Black or white
That slept near "Mary"
Every night

Was there a kitten
Softly purring
Listening, loving
And reassuring

Was there a kitten
Perhaps next door
That longed for cuddling
Evermore

I think there was a kitten
Which may have been a stray
That came to know my "Mary"
If only for one day

Jeanne a.k.a. "Mary"

Beyond the Canvas is a compilation of photograph/painting comparisons with poetry, depicting a little girl placed for adoption in 1966 ... who grew up on canvas. Was There A Kitten? is the third in a unique series created by Van Sleet over a twenty-six year period. As an artist she processed, through painted portraits, a silent longing for her stranged child. When the two met as women in 1993, Susan saw for the first time the daughter she had only imagined for nearly three decades.

Credits: Susan Van Sleet