My cat’s a vicious predator
Though meek and self-effacing
I sigh and shake my head at her
But I can’t stop her chasing--
--poor little mice, and great big rats
And tender little frogs
And voles and snakes and baby bats
And lizards under logs
I tell my friends about my cat
They don’t believe a word
(They haven’t seen the mouse, the rat
The frog, the vole, the bird)
I tell my neighbors and they laugh
They don’t believe it’s true
(Until they see her dragging half
a rabbit--then they do)
I feed her well, but even so
She has to ply her skill
She prowls and stalks just like a pro
Then leaps to make her kill
I yell at her, I scream and shout
To let the poor things be
She just pretends that I’m not there
And races up a tree
Oh why did Mother Nature make
My lovely cat so vicious?
I wish for little creatures’ sake
They weren’t all so delicious.