*Cat Poem for Tony..* (finally!)

He paces above me,
On the ridge,
Eyes cold and casually watching,
Feigning indifference,
As he matches my pace…

The road home is long,
And I wonder if I shall survive it,
Watching him from the corner of my eyes,
As we walk together,
He above me,
On the ridge,
Casually keeping pace,
Feigning indifference,
As my heart begins to race…

Tawny yellow with soft eyes,
Eyes that are moist,
So softly brown,
Watching me
As we walk towards the town…

I still my beating heart,
Pretending not to be here,
Not to hear,
His huffing sound,
As he paces above me,
On the ridge,
Keeping pace-
And I try to still my fear
Of him being so near…

I dare not run,
Trees too high to climb,
No rocks are near enough to find,
I dare not leave the path,
Hoping to find a stout stick
Something with which to hit,
Drive him away if I can,
Thoughts racing in my mind,
Wondering if I shall make it home tonight,
As he paces above me,
On the ridge,
Never taking his eyes off me,
As he thinks his predator thoughts...
Wondering what this soft thing
Is doing out here among the woods?
Traveling alone in the falling light,
Waiting to see,
If I take flight…

I can feel his warm breath,
On the back of my neck,
Hair rising stiffly,
Every nerve alive…
I see my home come into view,
Breathing quicker now,
As I wonder how
I shall end this day,
Alive or dead…

He stops above me,
And sits down,
I peer into his eyes,
So beautifully brown,
Feigning indifference that I got away,
Knowing in his hunter’s heart,
There will come another day…

I reach the door,
And look back once more,
But he is gone,
And I can’t help wonder
If he was real,
Or just the spirit
Of one I once held dear,
Walking with me just a little way,
Joining with me in the last light of the day…