feline

Feline

Sleek, purposeful, graceful—
A balance of beauty and strength
Moving, stalking, effortless,
                             Silently into the night
Keen eyes whip around, peer into the dark,
Take note of every detail, every movement
Weightlessly, perfectly balanced,
                             Only one thought on her mind:

Find the prey, rat him out
Then quietly close in for the kill

One foot in front of the other
Senses heightened, set on alert
Follow the track, the musky stench,
                             Smell the fresh fear on the air
Around the next corner she sees him—
A mouse, hiding in his hole
Her muscles tense; She is ready
                             “Come closer,” softly she purrs
A swish of her tail,
                   She scatters the leaves
                             Exposing her unlucky victim
Quicker than sound,
                   He is off and away,
                             A terrified smudge of gray fur

Exultant, thrilled, she pauses a moment
Tenses, prepares for the chase—
In this she is famous; a terror
                             Her skill unmatched, and she knows it
Powerful, lithe—a bullet
Her body a streamlined machine
Quicker and quicker, she’s gaining
                             Steadily, her prey loses ground

She tightens her strong legs like springs
With a cry, they snap, and she pounces;
lands with great skill on her target
And flexes her razor-sharp claws…