Cat

Surreptitiously sidle, Stalk the pavement, Jump up on a wall And arch your tail As a dog barks in the night. This is your feline time, Shadows cast by the moon's Radiance, hiding under wheels Of cars or on walls and rooftops: You are silent with padded feet. Overlooking your dark domain, An intruder comes and challenges, Stiff fur, a screech and a hiss Like fat in the frying pan; A shadowy flurry of movement and claws. Back in the house you curl up, Fur soft and yielding to Eager fingers and hands that stroke And produce a rhythmic purr with Always the threat of a vengeful scratch.